엔딩메이커

Demonic humans Farragut and Vilkay died, and the demon Sisioth was extinguished.

Demonic human Saluzia, who oversaw the northern branch of the Devil’s Hand in the
Salen Kingdom, stared at the Demon Record with a stunned face.

“No way.”

The Demon Record recorded the names of the demons and demonic humans that
belonged to the Devil’s Hand, and it also had a special function.

If a demon or demonic human that was recorded in it was extinguished or killed, a

red line was drawn in the middle of their name. Saluzia stared at those red lines that
remained the same no matter how many times she looked at them.

‘They failed? No, were they exterminated?’

There were two demonic humans and one demon, and even close to a hundred
combatants.

It was generally impossible.

Could it be that the iron man, Landius, had appeared once again?

No, that couldn’t be.

The iron man’s trail was found in the center of the Salen Kingdom. He was not in the
north now.

‘Jude Bayer and Cordelia Chase.’

There was something about the two of them.

If she only considered their skill, the possibility that they extinguished Farragut,
Vilkay, and Sisioth was completely zero, but she couldn’t ignore the connection of the
two.

In the first place, the troops were dispatched to aim for the two.

‘There is no such thing as a god of disaster.’

As she thought about it, five demonic humans have already died because of those
two. On top of that, up to two hundred combatants and one demon died too, so the
damage caused by them was very serious.

‘It cannot be like this.’

They had suffered so much damage.

Moreover, since she failed three times in a row, there was no way that the other
executives would stay still. They would somehow disparage and harass her.

It wasn’t the only thing that she was afraid of.

Because there was something else that truly scared her.

‘What will the leader think of me? If she thinks I’m useless and drive me out… ’

Just imagining it was horrible.

Being alive would be painful for her as she thought of their leader looking at her with
eyes full of scorn.

‘I have to somehow make up for it.’

Recovering was already impossible.

The expression ‘settlement’ was more appropriate.

Capture Jude Bayer and Cordelia Chase alive. Give those two young ones hellish pain.
Sacrifice them to summon a demon much more powerful than Sisioth.

“Haa.”
Saluzia closed her eyes. She closed the Demon Record and stabilized her breathing
before slowly getting up from her seat.

“Kanos.”

“Yes, Master Saluzia.”

Kanos’ answer came back quietly in the pillar’s long-casted shadow.

Saluzia continued to talk as Kanos prostrated on her feet.

“Find the whereabouts of Cordelia Chase. This time, I will move myself. We will
mobilize all the power of the northern branch.”

“I understand.”

Even Kanos recognized the seriousness of the situation, so he didn’t say anything
else.

The only exoneration given to Saluzia and himself was to capture Jude Bayer and
Cordelia Chase regardless of the means or method.

Saluzia looked away from him. She glared towards the north where Frost Anvil was
located.

***

“Thank you for your hard work. Take care of yourself.”

“Yes sir, yes ma’am. Thank you for employing me.”

They were in the entrance of Lankebuste, the largest trading city in the Hræsvelgr
territory.

At the first alleyway after passing through the gates, Jude and Cordelia handed over
to a big man his compensation.

He was a man living in a village near Lankebuste, and they had met him yesterday
and hired him for a day.
“Please keep it a secret.”

“Of course I will. Even if a knife is held to my throat, I will keep it a secret.”

The man thumped on his chest and guaranteed it, before laughing as he left the alley.

And Cordelia said.

“He won’t keep it a secret, right?”

“If someone asks him in exchange for a bit of money, he’ll tell it. It’s okay though. It’s
not the kind of information that you can actively sell.”

There was nothing else to be noticed, except the fact that they were a very pretty
woman and a handsome young man.

Moreover, the two were currently in disguise.

“Will we be seen as a brother and sister because of our similar hair color?”

“When our pursuers listen to the hearsay, they will shake even the smallest
information about us. So having a disguise is better than having nothing.”

The two had dyed their hair in the same brown color and had pretended to be
siblings.

“Count Hræsvelgr will be looking for a young man and woman. So if you add one
more person to our party, it would be hard for them to properly find us.”

It was the reason why they hired a young man from the neighborhood, so that they
could pass through the gates together.

“Will they really be fooled so easily?”

“We are two people who will die if we can’t live together. Take a step back and think
about it. How many times do two people who’ve run away from home, saying that
they’ll go on a honeymoon trip, will include another person on their journey?”

At Jude’s words, Cordelia thought about it, and she was convinced eventually.
“I understand, but it just feels sad.”

It was about their reputation in public.

“Me too.”

Jude was behind the creation of that reputation, but he nodded his head in
agreement too before continuing talking about something different.

“Well then, let’s hurry. There’s a high likelihood that the Devil’s Hand will move
again.”

“Hmm… wouldn’t Saluzia move herself if we had caused this much damage to them?”

“It’s highly likely.”

She was a high-ranking demonic human who’s in charge of the northern branch, and
one of the six executives of the Devil’s Hand.

Cordelia remembered her for a moment, and then held the back of her neck as she
said.

“You know what?”

“Yes, what?”

“We’re getting stronger much faster than in the game, but the enemies are also
getting stronger much faster… or rather, that’s the feeling that I get.”

“It’s not just your feeling, as it’s correct. And perhaps, this situation will continue to
happen in the future.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because we’re defeating the people whom we are supposed to lose to and
breaking the flow of the original story because we got ahead of the situation.”

They defeated demonic human Minos in order to neutralize the kidnapping attempt
of the Devil’s Hand, and as a result of defeating several demonic humans of the
Devil’s Hand, they were in a situation where Saluzia was forced to appear much
earlier than the original story.

Perhaps this phenomenon will continue in the future.

“Out of a frying pan into the fire.”

“So we have to get stronger quickly.”

“Sob, sob, but what do we do if Saluzia truly comes at us? We can’t beat her if she’s a
high-ranking demonic human.”

Cordelia’s worries were reasonable. Therefore, Jude nodded and replied in a rather
serious tone.

“It’ll be fine if our travel schedule is not too slow. The land of the barbarians beyond
the border is the realm of the Devil’s Eye. Even the northern branch’s head of the
Devil’s Hand will not be able to chase us beyond the border.”

The Devil’s Hand and the Devil’s Eye were rival groups who served under different
great monarchs.

If an important figure and the high-ranking northern branch head, Saluzia, moved,
the Devil’s Eye would likely respond. So once they’ve crossed the border, they could
shake off their worries about the Devil’s Hand.

“I feel like I’m going into a tiger’s den just to avoid a lion.”

“Well… it’s not wrong because we have to deal with the Devil’s Eye too.”

For a moment, Jude shrugged, and Cordelia sighed again.

She shook her body as if she was full of energy, and then spoke in a lively voice.

“Okay, so moving on, we have to meet Red Wind now.”

“Did you like Red Wind?”

“Yes, she’s about next to Cordelia?”

“I’m just asking, but how much did you like Jude?”
“Second from the bottom? Because he’s the bum who tried to take Cordelia.”

“O-okay.”

Was it fortunate that he isn’t at the bottom… was what Jude was thinking.

At Jude’s reply, Cordelia burst into laughter and said.

“By the way, at this point… she’s probably stuck in a slave auction house?”

“Yes, considering the time of her appearance, she should be locked up by now. She
probably got caught about a week ago.”

Because Red Wind was one of the playable characters, Cordelia also pretty much
knew about her early actions in detail.

Red Wind had infiltrated across the border to Count Hræsvelgr’s territory in the
Salen Kingdom, in order to get medicine for her father, Red Gale. However, it was
unreasonable for her in the first place to sneak into the territory, when she had only
lived in the land of the barbarians all her life.

Eventually, Red Wind’s identity was discovered early on, and she got caught by slave
merchants and became a slave.

“Because Red Wind is pretty.”

“After all, the Great Storm tribe were elves.”

The northern barbarians consisted of dozens of tribes, some of which, were made up
of different races itself.

The Great Storm tribe was a tribe that inherited the blood of the Forest Elves,
specifically, the Winter Elves.

“Because the early scenario of Red Wind was to run away from the slave auction
house… are we helping her to escape then?”

Cordelia smiled happily at the thought of it as she talked, but Jude shook his head.

“No, we’re not going to do that.”

“Why are we not doing that? Are we not going to save Red Wind?”

“We have to save her. But as I said before, we have an urgent schedule. The reason
why Red Wind was able to escape was because of the raid on the slave auction house,
but we have to wait for another month for that event to happen.”

“Can’t we just sneak in ourselves and rescue her?”

“It won’t be easy. It’s going to be dangerous. The place where Red Wind is locked up
is in the largest slave auction house in the north.”

“Then, what are we supposed to do?”

“Red Wind is a slave now.”

“She is a slave.”

“Yes, so why not buy her?”

“You won’t help Red Wind escape?”

“Yeah, let’s buy her with money peacefully. Without fighting.”

As if it was a clear solution, Jude even showed a bright smile, but Cordelia pouted her
lips.

“There’s something I don’t like.”

“What is it?”

“It’s just…”

She had imagined the future of becoming Red Wind’s benefactor by punishing the
vicious slaver.

On top of that, she found the situation itself, where Red Wind served as Jude’s slave,
as somehow unpleasant.

“Come to think of it, there is one more thing that bothers me.”
“One more thing?”

“How are we going to get the money?”

As Cordelia had said, Red Wind was beautiful, so she would be priced very
expensively.

The two had enough funds from resolving minor events that they encountered on
the way, but that was only in terms of travel expenses.

Cordelia had remembered that Red Wind’s product rating was in the upper middle.

To buy such a woman, they simply needed a huge fortune.

But at Cordelia’s comment, Jude had an evil grin instead of being discouraged.

“Hehehe… if that’s the case, I’ve already prepared some measures, Madam.”

“W-what is it?”

Cordelia asked as she took a step back without realizing it, but Jude grabbed her
wrist instead of answering.

“Follow me. You’ll find out right away.”

She wondered on what the hell was he talking about.

Cordelia then nodded with an anxious face.

And 20 minutes later…

In front of a luxurious and enormous building, Cordelia’s eyes blinked as she stood
there with a blank face, and soon turned her head to Jude.

“Is this our means of making money?”

“It is.”

At Jude’s confident answer, Cordelia faced the front again, and read the letters on the
large signboard.
Lankebuste Casino.

Where dreams and hopes come true.

She had nothing else to say. Cordelia turned around right away and began hitting
Jude’s back mercilessly.

“It hurts! It hurts! That hurts more! It hurts more!”

Cordelia dragged Jude into an alley to avoid people’s eyes and yelled after hitting him
a few more times.

“Hey, you fool! You brought me there to make money at a gambling house? Ha, I can’t
believe you!”

“Heeyy… it’s okay though?”

“That okay is sh*t! Let’s break off our engagement! Break it off! Gambler is out!”

Cordelia opened her mouth as if to bite him, and Jude took a step back from her and
then raised one hand forward like a trainer trying to calm an animal as he quickly
said.

“It’s really okay. You know who I am, right?”

“A gambler?”

“…I’m Outboxer009. The indisputable 1st place in Legend of Heroes 2’s rankings.”

“I suddenly want to hit you more.”

“Anyway, trust me. Have you seen me talking nonsense?”

Jude earnestly spoke as he looked directly at her, and Cordelia seemed to scowl,
before she eventually sighed, and her shoulders sank.

“Can you really do it?”

“I can do it.”
“Okay, I’ll believe in you.”

“Thank you, Madam. I’ll make you lightning-rich soon, so please look forward to it.”

“Don’t spend it all, don’t waste our money. If you do so, I’ll break off our engagement
immediately. Do you understand, fiance?”

“I understand. So come with me.”

Jude reached his hand out to Cordelia as if escorting her, and Cordelia held Jude’s
hand with a dissatisfied look.

“Now then, shall we win the jackpot?”

“You can’t just win it like that.”

“Hey, don’t worry. And frankly… don’t you believe in me?”

Because he was Jude and not anyone else.

“Hmph, I do not?”

Cordelia snorted right away, but he could tell from her eyes.

After all, she would have opposed it to the very end if she didn’t believe in him in the
first place.

“I will live up to your trust, my lady.”

“I didn’t say that.”

In the end, the two walked towards the casino side by side.

***

And at that same time.

A very important meeting was taking place in Bailon, the border city in the
southernmost part of the northern region.
“I can no longer set it aside and wait and see.”

Speaking in a very serious tone was Count Bayer, Jude Bayer’s father and one of the
ten swordmasters in the Salen Kingdom.

“If the current situation continues, Count Hræsvelgr will have no choice but to put
them in the wanted list. And that… that would be the worst situation.”

Three counts were searching all over the north to catch the two youths who have
eloped despite the fact that their engagement was already recognized by both of
their families.

There was nothing disgraceful about their relationship, yet the two did that.

Moreover, the movement of the Devil’s Hand weighed on his mind too. They had to
secure the two before something really big happened.

“It would be nice if either you or I could move in person… but that would be
impossible.”

At the words of Count Bayer, Count Chase nodded his head in silence.

Whether it was Count Bayer, who ruled Bailon, or Count Chase, who was in charge of
the Red Dawn Tower, it was unreasonable for them to go all the way to the distant
territory of Count Hræsvelgr.

They would most likely be away for more than a month.

“So I’m thinking of sending Gael instead.”

Gael Bayer.

The eldest son of Count Bayer and the older brother of Jude.

In fact, Count Chase nodded at the strongest hand that Count Bayer could take out.

“On my side, I’ll be sending Adelia.”

“Adelia? Isn’t she in the center now?”

Her situation was different from Gael, who had stayed with Count Bayer to inherit
the territory.

Count Chase’s eldest daughter was one of the seven heads of the Royal Guard Magic
Corps.

“She came here to this faraway place after she took a vacation. She seemed to have a
lot of complaints on what happened recently between Jude and Cordelia.”

Jude, that parasitic younger brother, it’s clear that he’s toying around with the kind,
innocent, and angelic Cordelia! – Those were his eldest daughter’s words that Count
Chase had omitted.

“Gael and Adelia… should be enough.”

“They should be enough.”

“When will they depart?”

“It’s possible for him to do so right now.”

“This side too.”

They could no longer stand by and watch Jude and Cordelia cause trouble to Count
Hræsvelgr.

Furthermore, they were fathers who were very worried about the safety of the two.

And an hour later.

Gael Bayer and Adelia Chase left the border city of Bailon to arrest the crazy couple.

Terms used in this chapter:

Lankebuste – this is something I made up. There are similar words to it in German
or Norwegian, but they’re combinations of two completely different places/words. In
German, there’s Lanke + Buste, while in Norwegian, there’s Lanke + buste. I’ve
considered using the Norwegian one as Hræsvelgr and Vedrfolnir are Norse in origin,
but frankly, I’m too lazy to type ‘Lankebuste’ every single time, so ‘Lankebuste’ it is.
No more diacritics or accents please.
Gael Bayer.

27 years old.

He is the eldest son of Count Bayer, and the next Count of Bayer.

As the successor of Count Bayer, one of the ten great swordmasters, he was a master
of the sword who had gained fame since his childhood.

Even though the eldest sons of other counts already had two to three children, there
were many reasons why he was still a bachelor. But the truth is, most of those
reasons were just a pretext, and there was only one reason why Gael was still
unmarried and lived alone.

Adelia Chase.

24 years old.

She is the eldest daughter and the middle child of Count Chase, who had one son and
two daughters.

She was a genius wizard who joined the Royal Guard Magic Corps of the Salen
Kingdom at the age of 19. And after 5 years, she became one of the heads at the
young age of 24.

“It’s been a long time, Lady Adelia.”

“It’s been a long time too, Lord Bayer.”

Gael didn’t wear his armor as he wasn’t going on a battlefield, but he was wearing a
knight’s usual attire under his coat.

And as for Adelia.

As the sister of Cordelia, she was also an incomparably beautiful woman who
resembled their mother and had dark blonde hair.

She was dressed in a wizard’s combat attire with the emblem of the Royal Guard
Magic Corps on it. It was a luxurious and gorgeous outfit with gold thread
embroidered on her black clothes that fit her perfectly.

“Although the reason we’ve met like this is not very good… still, it’s good to see you
in good health.”

“Me too.”

Gael was smiling nicely as always, while Adelia answered him a little brusquely as
she made a ‘hmph’ sound before speaking again.

“You may have already heard it roughly, but I’ll say it again. The plan is simple. First
of all, regardless of night and day, we’ll race towards Count Hræsvelgr’s territory
until we reach somewhere near the northern border.”

“Will you use <Tracking> magic after that?”

Adelia nodded when Gael asked as he climbed up on the horse.

“I have the ring my father gave me, so we can track them down.”

“How far is the scope of the <Tracking> magic?”

“It’s quite wide, as it’s about the size of a small manor. If it’s as large as Count
Hræsvelgr’s territory, we’ll only be able to search it in parts.”

“Still, it’s reassuring. After all, it’s Lady Adelia.”

“Hmph, it’s not something to be praised about though?”

Adelia snorted as she gathered her hair and tied it up, before holding and fixing the
horse’s reins.

“Anyway, let’s go. I will take the lead.”

“I am more familiar with the nearby geography, so I will take the lead. Everyone! I’ll
be back!”

Despite Adelia’s sharp attitude, Gael smiled and answered, before greeting those
who came to see them off. Afterwards, he made the horse start moving by nudging it
with his foot.

“Giddyap!”

As Gael had great horseback riding skills, he looked impressively cool as he run
ahead, but it wasn’t for Adelia.

She looked at Gael, who had run ahead, with a displeased face as she made a ‘hmph’
sound and then looked back at the people sending them off.

“I’ll be back.”

She coldly spoke as she spurred her horse and followed after Gael. Though, if one
looked at her momentum, it seemed like she was in a race, rather than being his
companion.

As for those left behind, among them was Maja and Dahlia. The two looked at each
other naturally and smiled awkwardly.

“It will… be fine, right?”

“Ah… maybe?”

Gael Bayer and Adelia Chase.

With a somewhat ominous premonition, Maja and Dahlia looked at the two people
who had already gone far.

***

Someone had said.

“Do you know what a gambling house and a luxury buffet have in common? It is the
fact that the store wins in the end.”

It was exactly what he said.

No matter how much one eats in a luxury buffet to get their money’s worth, all they’ll
have in the end was an upset stomach. And no matter how hard one tries at a
gambling house, in the end, the visitors were bound to lose their money.

“Of course, that’s an average story, and overall, it’s just the casinos that make money,
but there are certainly a minority who make money, whether it’s small or huge.”

Otherwise, no one will go to the gambling house if they didn’t make any money.

“So you’re that minority?”

“I was always the winning minority. I even had the status of being in the ban list of
three Las Vegas casinos.”

Before going to the casino, they stopped by a nearby accommodation and were
currently in the middle of changing clothes.

At Jude’s words, Cordelia blinked as she arranged the skirt of her fabulous red dress.

“Ban list?”

“Yes, it’s kind of a blacklist. If you go there, you will not be allowed to enter.”

As Jude talked a little proudly, Cordelia stopped arranging her skirt. She then
touched her chin and soon said as she clenched her fist.

“As expected! You were a scammer as expected! Humbug! Am I not right? Right?”

“No, it’s not? I never cheated, okay? I was just so good at gambling that I was denied
entry, okay?”

“F*ck, who the hell are you then? How can you continuously win if you didn’t cheat
then?”

“It’s nice to hear you saying ‘f*ck’ after a long time.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Well, turn around for now.”

“Have you finished dressing up?”

“Oh, you’re all dressed up.”

“This person… fu-… didn’t I tell you not to turn around?”

“I just turned around. Come closer. I’ll tighten the straps on your back.”

“Dahlia used to do it.”

“Dahlia isn’t here right now.”

It was as Jude had said, so Cordelia came near Jude and showed her back, and Jude
tightened the dress straps one by one as he continued talking.

“Do you know about card counting?”

“I don’t know.”

“…it’s literally counting cards. You remember all the revealed cards and infer which
cards haven’t been revealed yet. And based on that, you calculate the probability for
each situation and make the best choice.”

“It’s hard to listen to just that, but if you do that, can you unconditionally win?”

“No, the win rate is just a little over 50%. In modern casinos, a lot of various
techniques have been developed to invalidate card counting so that it isn’t effective.
I’m done tightening it.”

When Jude had tightened all the dress straps, Cordelia turned around and looked
back and forth on her own body before picking up the necktie.

“So, why were you blacklisted? As expected, didn’t you cheat by counting? Don’t
move and stay still.”

“Card counting is basic, and there are a few other techniques. And basically, the game
is played with a dealer, right? Unlike machines, humans display a lot of information
even if they are just quietly standing.”

And in fact, Jude’s specialty was in poker games like Texas hold ‘em.
“Do you mean, you were a professional poker player then?”

“I wonder.”

In response to Jude’s shameless answer, Cordelia pouted her lips and deliberately
tied up Jude’s tie tightly.

“Gak-! Hey!”

“Hmph, I’ll tie it up again.”

The dexterous Cordelia soon nicely tied up his tie again.

“I don’t know about anything else, but I think you’re the best at this.”

“There are a lot of things that I’m good at too, okay?”

Despite the fact that she snorted, the corners of Cordelia’s mouth were raised, and
her mood became better at his compliment.

“In any case, are you confident about this?”

“I am confident. It’s not even a modern casino that has prepared several preventive
measures.”

“You have a wicked smile.”

“You will soon love this smile, my lady.”

“I bet I won’t.”

Nevertheless, Cordelia was somewhat relieved at his confident appearance.

“Well then, shall we go and win some money?”

“Yes, Daddy. I only trust in Daddy.”

“Daddy will make our princess rich today.”

“I’m so excited.”
“Let’s do this.”

“Okay.”

The two stopped their conversation, looked at each other, and took a deep breath
before they left the accommodation together.

And two hours later.

“Blackjack.”

The dealer facing Jude turned pale, and Jude had a gentle smile as he looked back at
the coins piled up in front of him.

‘It’s about time.’

After an hour of observation and an hour of winning and winning again, the time has
come for the store to put on the brakes on him.

‘As expected, it’s coming.’

A giant man dressed in a high-quality suit was approaching him in big strides.

He’ll moderately tell Jude to ‘get out of here’ in a refined language while exaggerating
his words and speaking at length.

‘Well, should I slowly withdraw now?’

Even if he exchanged the coins now, it would already have exceeded Red Wind’s price
by 1.5 times.

‘Okay, this is enough.’

Having made up his mind, Jude turned his head towards the giant and brightly
smiled.

But without even looking at Jude’s smile, the giant continued to walk away and
stopped at an unexpected place.

‘What?’
Jude unconsciously blinked his eyes before getting up from his seat and looking at
the place where the giant stopped.

It was the roulette place, and now that he saw it, nearly half of the casino guests
were gathered in addition to the supervisor.

“I’d like to exchange the coins into money, please. This is a tip.”

After handing a coin to the dealer, Jude got up and walked towards the roulette place.

And it was at that moment.

“Kyaaa!”

“Oooooooh!”

“She got it right again!”

“Awesome!”

Thunderous exclamations of amazement broke out among the audience. They had
such enthusiastic reactions that he wondered why he didn’t hear of their sounds
before.

And in the center of all that enthusiasm was an incomparably beautiful girl with long
brown hair, wearing a red dress.

“Cordelia?”

Jude unintentionally said her real name while she was going ‘kyaa’ and being happy.
Cordelia then looked back at Jude with a bright face and hugged him.

“I got it again! It’s incredible!”

What? What the hell did you get?

And what is this flow?

Jude lightly pushed Cordelia away first before seeing the roulette board. He then saw
a mountain of coins piled up in front of Cordelia. At first glance, it seemed to be twice
or three times as many as what Jude himself had.

“Oh… little sister?”

The two had disguised themselves as brother and sister.

Cordelia came to her senses at Jude’s words, and said after she widely spread out her
shoulders.

“Oppa, oppa, I’m totally awesome, it’s awesome.”

Jude could read from the flow that Cordelia had hit the jackpot in roulette.

But how the hell did that happen?

“Wow, she’s such an incredible Miss. It’s not a side card but just one red and black
match, yet she’s earned as much as I did.”

The man who was watching right beside him laughably said as if it was his business,
but the other nearby spectators also added some words.

“I’ve seen her got it 10 times in a row.”

“Didn’t she get it 12 consecutive times?”

“It’s exactly 17 consecutive times!”

“17 consecutive?!”

The last one was Jude.

Cordelia was perfectly satisfied at Jude’s totally startled and utterly bewildered face.

“That’s right! 17 times in a row!”

To win in roulette, the player determines whether the ball stops in the red or black
pockets.

The probability is ½.
The dividend of betting on one is the lowest, but it’s a different story if it’s 17 times
in a row.

‘If you bet on only one, the dividend is doubled if you win. But if it’s the 17th win of
2… ’

131,072 times.

T/N: Frankly, I don’t understand much about roulette, but this is the best explanation I
can give.

In roulette, you can bet on one or several numbers, and if the ball lands on your bets,
your payouts/dividends are determined by the number of your bets. Betting on one
only means that you’re betting on either even or odd numbers, or you’re betting on
either red or black.

Betting on one only gives you a 50% chance of winning, but the dividend is the lowest,
as it only doubles your dividend/payout. Every time you win, your dividend is doubled.
So, if you win 17 times in a row, your dividend becomes 131,072 times. It’s not 17 times
2, but 2 raised to the 17th power, so the formula is 217 = 131,072.

Even if she started with the cheapest coin, which is one copper coin, it would increase to
a tremendous amount if it was around 130,000 times, so it was natural that a
mountain of coins was piled up in front of Cordelia.

On the other hand, the probability of winning 17 times in a row could also be said to be
one in 2 raised to the 17th power.

That is, your chances in winning is 1 in 131,072.

“Uh… how did you do it?”

Since he remembered his past life before he came to Pleiades, or rather, in both his
current and past lives, Jude had never been as surprised as he was now.

Cordelia widely smiled at Jude’s face that seemed to have witnessed the mystery of
the universe, and then she spoke in a triumphant tone.

“With feeling.”
“With feeling?”

“With feeling.”

=====<Cordelia’s flashback>=====

‘Somehow, I feel that it would stop in red this time.’

‘Black this time.’

‘Black again this time.’

‘Looks like it’s red this time?’

=====<End of flashback>=====

“Are you a real animal…”

“I can hear you.”

However, Cordelia didn’t hit Jude’s back because of her good mood. She didn’t even
try to bite him.

“A-anyway! Let’s finish it at this point.”

“Why? The more money we have, the better.”

“Let’s end it. It’s completely enough now.”

At Jude’s remark, Cordelia pouted her lips, and the onlookers around them began
booing him.

But Jude didn’t pay them any attention.

“Let’s go now.”

Jude strongly spoke, and Cordelia thought for a moment before nodding her head.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Aah!”

“Why don’t you play another round, Miss?”

“One more round!”

The spectators around them shouted hardly, and the giant, who seemed to be on the
casino’s side, also tried to do something.

It now seemed to Jude that he didn’t want to stop the game, but rather, to somehow
keep it going.

‘Because he wants us to eventually lose.’

17 consecutive wins was undeniably a miracle.

“I’m sorry, but my brother is strict. Hehe.”

Cordelia responded with a cute smile to the onlookers , and after exchanging the
coins they had, she left the casino with Jude.

Jude was very nervous that they would not be able to exchange their currency or be
prevented from leaving, but it ended with a strong request to visit again tomorrow
and an invitation to the auction house because the amount of money the two had
was not enough for the casino to directly pay.

‘They’re telling us to spend some money in any way.’

The slave auction house, general auction house, and this casino were all owned by
Bern, who was called the king of Lankebuste.

‘Well, it’s not bad. Since there is an invitation to the auction house, participating in
the auction would look natural.’

Jude sighed in relief and drooped his shoulders, while Cordelia looked up at the sky
with a cheerful face and said.

“It’s a beautiful night.”

Of course it was.
Even by the standards of the two as children of the 12 families, they had earned a
huge amount in just two hours.

“Wow, we are rich now. The casino was a fun place. It’s a place full of hopes and
dreams.”

“Hey, it’s funny that I’m telling you this now, but the casino is a pandemonium, okay?
You should just go with the thought of spending money and having fun, because it’s
usually a place where people ruin themselves from gambling, okay?”

“Hmph, it was a nice place, so why?”

“No gambling, no gambling. Gambler is out. Okay? Let’s break off our engagement!
Break it off!”

The positions of the two had reversed now compared to before they entered the
casino.

And Cordelia had a similar reaction to that of Jude two hours ago.

“Heeyy, can’t you trust in noona?”

“Please.”

“Okay, okay. Anyway, it was exciting. Red Wind is mine now.”

Cordelia had grumbled before that it wasn’t good to buy Red Wind with money, but
she had completely changed her mind.

Jude suddenly grabbed Cordelia’s wrist tightly as he spoke again.

“I’m saying this out of concern for you, but just think that today was a truly
miraculous and lucky day. Do you understand? Okay?”

“It hurts, it hurts, Cordelia won’t do it again… okay, okay. I’ll stop here. I understand.
It’s not like days like this come often.”

“Haa… Just don’t make me say that I’ll discard you from the family register.”

“Yes, Daddy.”
Cordelia replied like a good child as she took the lead, and Jude followed Cordelia
closely while being wary of thieves.

Faintly laughing at Jude’s worried appearance, Cordelia tied her long hair together
and then asked him.

“By the way, Jude, when are we going to the auction house?”

“By chance, it will be opened tomorrow, so we don’t have to wait for long.”

“Are there any good items for sale besides Red Wind? We are rich now.”

In the original story, there was no opportunity for Jude and Cordelia to properly
participate in the auction house.

Cordelia was busy from being chased by the Devil’s Hand in the beginning of her
scenario. On the other hand, when Jude’s scenario began in earnest, the entire north
was in a mess because of the barbarian invasion.

‘It goes without saying that Red Wind was locked up at the auction house at that
time.’

Moreover, it was presently an auction that will happen a month before Red Wind’s
scenario began at the auction house.

In other words, it was an unknown place for both Jude and Cordelia.

“I’m suddenly looking forward to it.”

“You’re right. It’s like I’m looking forward to what would be there? It feels like we’re
entering a new town and visiting a weapons store, right?”

‘What items could be there?’

‘Perhaps it would be possible to get a jackpot item?’

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We’ll meet Red Wind, and also go to the auction
house.”

“Yeah.”
‘Maybe we’ll find items that are really necessary.’

And in the next evening.

“Seriously, it actually happened.”

“We have good luck.”

Cordelia was in front, and Jude was at the back.

An unexpected meeting was waiting for the two.

Some translation mistakes:

I used to refer to Count Bayer as one of the Salen Kingdoms ‘teenage swordmasters,’
but that is incorrect. He is actually one of the ‘ten great swordmasters.’ The Korean
word they used here is Geumho (검호), which can literally be translated to sword
(geum) + great (ho).

An interesting trivia:

Outboxer009 is a reference to real-life pro gamer ‘BoxeR,’ Lim Yo-hwan. After he

retired from eSports, he became a professional poker player.

Terms used in this chapter:

Side card – also known as ‘kicker,’ it is a card in a poker hand that does not itself
take part in determining the rank of the hand but may be used to break ties between
hands of the same rank.

Discard from the family register – South Korea used to have a family register
system called ‘Hoju.’ It has since been abolished since 2008 because it was highly
patriarchal and opposed by many groups. Nowadays, it is used by adults as an
expression to scold and threaten their children, with an implied meaning that they’ll
be ‘kicked out’ of the family, or ‘disowned’ if they continue to behave badly.
The Lankebuste auction house had one special rule.

‘All participants must cover their faces with masks.’

Partial masks that could somehow make it easier to recognize the face was not
allowed. Only masks covering the entire face was permitted.

Of course, sex and age could be inferred to some extent from one’s height and body
type, but the existence of masks were bound to guarantee considerable anonymity.

“They’re selling stuff that you can’t buy if your face is revealed?”

“Well… there are quite a few items that are considered shady. Right now, it’s buying
those kinds of slaves.”

In the Salen Kingdom, slavery was somehow regarded as an old-fashioned evil

practice that was slowly disappearing.

Moreover, most of the slaves traded in Lankebuste were not slaves for labor, but
slaves for dirty and shady purposes, such as playthings for sexual entertainment,
subjects for body experiments, and combat slaves for gladiator competitions.

“I want to save her quickly.”

Although Jude did not give a specific example, Cordelia already knew the truth to
some extent.

That is why she wanted to save Red Wind as soon as possible.

“It’ll be all right. We’ve got enough money. Let’s not struggle in a vain bid, but just
buy her promptly with an immediate offer.”

“Yes, yes, because it’s exhausting to participate in a competition just to fail.”

According to the flow of the original story, Red Wind was sold once at this point of
time.

And then she came back as a returned item.

‘Whatever the reason may be, it just meant that there was a buyer.’

There was the concern of getting tired in a fruitless competition as Cordelia said, and
it would also draw people’s attention unnecessarily.

In any case, Jude and Cordelia were ‘fugitives,’ so it was better to do things as quietly
as possible.

“Hmm, good. I tied it well today. As expected of me.”

Cordelia smiled and praised herself after tying up Jude’s tie neatly, while Jude
thanked her without any complaints and then took out the masks they would be
using.

They were white masks that covered the entire face and did not have any patterns
drawn on them.

“I dyed my hair too, so if I wear this, no one will recognize me.”

“I don’t usually wear a pink dress, but dyeing my hair was worth it.”

Cordelia said something a little unrelated, and after wearing her mask, she looked at
Jude who gave a small clap.

“It looks good.”

“My face is all hidden, but I still look good.”

Cordelia answered with a giggle and led the way as if she wanted to go quickly. Jude
stared at the back of Cordelia and admired her again even though he already knew it.

‘Pretty, she’s really pretty.’

She wore a mask that covered her entire face, but he still felt that she was beautiful.
Cordelia wasn’t just an incomparably beautiful girl for no reason, as her qualities and
body itself were pretty.

“Of course, I’m an absolutely handsome boy.”

“What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“Recharging my confidence?”

“Just come quickly and stop with the nonsense.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Jude quickly answered as he wore his mask and caught up with Cordelia.

A dozen minutes passed like that.

Jude took a deep breath once they entered the auction house right next to the casino.

“Hwoooo… haaaaa… good, it smells great.”

“What smell?”

“The smell of treasure.”

At Jude’s remark, Cordelia snorted and sniffed in the same way. She then blinked her
eyes and said.

“Oh, it’s real.”

“Huh?”

“It smells like treasure.”

Jude unconsciously became nervous at Cordelia’s words.

Because it was Cordelia’s words and not anyone else.

“Where is it? What’s the grade? Is it perhaps Myth grade?”

“What is this crazy bastard saying? I was just kidding. How can a human smell
treasure anyway?”

“You’re an animal.”

Cordelia tried to naturally open her mouth to bite Jude, but it was useless because of
her mask that covered her mouth.

“Anyway, let’s stop this nonsensical talk for the moment and get Red Wind first.”

Of course, they were going to search for treasure, but their top priority was to secure
Red Wind.

Nodding at Cordelia’s words, Jude spoke as he looked back at the auction house’s
interior.

“There are two possible ways that you can choose in Lankebuste’s auction house.”

“Are you talking about the market and the proper bidding ceremony?”

“Well, it’s not precisely the correct term, but it’s roughly correct.”

In front of Jude and Cordelia right now were the items to be sold in the auction. They
were displayed in regular intervals like that of an art gallery or museum.

‘If there’s an item a person wants, they write down their bid first, and after a certain
period of time, the item is handed over to the person who had placed the highest
bid.’

It was a simple and clear but very time-consuming auction method.

“We’re not going to participate in the proper auction?”

“Yes, because it’s going to draw us some attention. We also don’t know if we really
want the items that will come out.”

The auction was scheduled to be held in the next two hours, in which the moderator
introduces the item, and each purchaser attempts to bid by raising their panel, just
like what was commonly seen in movies.
“Let’s buy everything that we want and then get out of the auction house.”

“Are we also getting out of Lankebuste then?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Jude’s mind was troubled by the Devil’s Hand, aside from Count Hræsvelgr.

It was best to cross the border before being spotted by any of them.

“Okay, moving on, let’s go and buy Red Wind first.”

“It’s probably this way.”

Thinking of Lankebuste’s auction house that he remembered when he played Red

Wind, Jude seemed to be taking some cautious steps forward first, but he soon led
Cordelia with a confident manner.

1st basement floor.

Unlike the bustling atmosphere of the 1st floor, the place had a gloomy, dreary, and
subdued atmosphere.

Inside the glass cases erected at regular intervals, the slaves for sale were almost in
the state of being naked.

“I don’t like it.”

Cordelia clicked her tongue and stepped forward at once in big strides as they
headed to the place where Red Wind was.

“Red Wind.”

Jude’s eyes finally saw her.

A girl from the Great Storm tribe that was 16 years old this year.

As she inherited the Winter Elf’s blood, her pure white ivory skin and azure hair
reminiscent of the clear blue sky were very memorable.
Her long hair that came down to her hips, were deliberately tied to the back to make
her long ears visible.

Cordelia gritted her teeth as she saw the chains tied to Red Wind’s slender ankles,
before looking at Red Wind’s face again.

Perhaps because she was confined in a case where she could only see the inside but
not the outside, there was a deep fear in her blue eyes that couldn’t hide her anger
and hostility.

“Let’s buy her right away.”

“Yes, so just calm down a bit, okay?”

“Okay.”

Cordelia gave a short answer as she looked up at Red Wind again, and Jude
immediately filled in their purchase price in the bidding column placed next to the
case.

“The auction house staff will come now.”

At Jude’s words, Cordelia tightly shut her mouth instead of answering, because she
didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

And after a few seconds.

A neatly dressed auction house employee approached them as Jude had expected.

“Oh, that’s an excellent choice. It’s hard to find such a beautiful woman among the
northern barbarians. However, she’s a little fierce, so please be careful about that
part.”

Cordelia reflexively lost her temper at the auction house’s employee’s words, and
Jude quickly blocked Cordelia with his body and shamelessly smiled as he said.

“The fiercer she is, the more delicious it is to tame her.”

“Haha, that’s right. That’s the true pleasure of rearing.”

The auction house employee laughed and smiled, and then handed out some
documents to them. After checking Jude’s ability to pay, he spoke again.

“It takes some time to pack, so why don’t you look around for other items in the
meantime? Between the next 20 minutes from the start of the auction and until its
end, you can come to the sales office on the first floor.”

“Yes, I will do so. Thank you for your kind guidance.”

“Thank you very much. We hope you enjoy your shopping.”

When the employee made a gesture after politely bowing down to them, the light in
Red Wind’s case went out.

Perhaps they were going to take out Red Wind through the glass case’s floor or
through the wall behind it.

“Now then, shall we go too?”

“…okay.”

Cordelia answered in a low voice, and Jude grasped her hand as they hurried up to
the first floor.

“Hooo, okay. Now that we’ve finished the trade without any problems, let’s really
enjoy the auction. There must be a lot of good items.”

When Jude intentionally spoke in an energetic voice, Cordelia pouted her lips several
times before she nodded.

She was angry because of Red Wind’s situation, not because of Jude. But she couldn’t
unreasonably vent out her anger on this place.

“Since we’ve come here, let’s find the true treasure. I will trust in your feeling.”

Jude added some words again, so Cordelia also spoke in quite a cheerful voice to
match his rhythm.

“Do you mean, something like a treasure with a stupendous performance, but others
don’t know its true value because of its outward appearance, like what is common in
novels and manhwa?”

“That’s correct.”

Of course, such an occurrence couldn’t have been really common.

The people at the auction house weren’t fools either.

After all, they had a group of experts working for them.

But it was just at that moment that they had thought so.

“Ah, isn’t that the Heavenly Judgment?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Jude unknowingly replied in a blank manner as he promptly opened his eyes wide.
And it was the same for Cordelia.

““Why is that appearing here?!””

The two rotten waters spoke almost at the same time, and they approached the glass
case in hurried steps while trying to be inconspicuous as possible.

“I’m sure of it, it’s currently in the state before its seal was released.”

Cordelia blinked her eyes at Jude’s words. It wasn’t because the Heavenly Judgment
suddenly appeared before her eyes.

It was because Jude spoke in Korean instead of the continent’s official language.

“Ko… rean?”

It’s been a long time since she used it, so Cordelia nodded and spoke Korean with a
slightly awkward pronunciation.

“Because no one else can understand it.”

It was like the time he used the Korean language as a password substitute when he
first wrote a letter in the past.
The only people who could understand Korean in Pleiades were Jude and Cordelia,
so it was a perfect counterintelligence measure.

“Ah, it’s somewhat awkward and strange. Moving on, I’m sure that it’s the Heavenly
Judgment.”

“I wandered around, trying to find it prior to when the seal was released, and now, it
was actually here.”

Jude admired it again as he recalled the Heavenly Judgment’s setting.

“Heavenly Judgment.”

It was one of the hundred swords that the Archangel of Judgment, Auriel, forged for
her warriors. She was one of the Four Archangels of Heaven, symmetrical with the
Five Overlords of Hell.

As a sword forged by an archangel, the sword’s performance itself was tremendous

and amazing, but the true value of Heavenly Judgment was unlike any other.

‘Day of Judgment.’

It was the name of the Ultimate skill inherent to the Heavenly Judgment and could
only be used by the Heavenly Judgment.

Although there were some differences in the power or range depending on the user’s
abilities, if the user uses it, the day of judgment will arrive as its name suggests.

Numerous blades of light would come pouring down from the sky like a heavy rain.

It did not cause any damage to heavenly beings, but it was not an exaggeration to say
that it was a skill that rained down death from the heavens for the opposite
existences of the heavenly beings, which were the demons and the undead.

“The long war between heaven and hell had destroyed most of the hundred swords,
leaving only a few…”

“And one of them is here.”

Cordelia and Jude simultaneously gulped.

“I’m glad that it was sealed. It seems like its appearance was just recognized as a
ceremonial dress relic.”

“We must buy this one.”

The Heavenly Judgment in front of them was sealed, so it was nothing more but a
little fanciful ceremonial sword as Jude had said.

Its blade was blunt so it was no different from a club, and the decorations were
excessively flashy, which would interfere with its use.

“But it will all change once you unseal it.”

“That’s right, and it is only a heavenly being who can release that seal.”

Heavenly being.

Angel.

And what that implied…

“Cordelia can unseal it.”

Of course, it was a story after she awakened as an angel through the Ancestral
Regression technique, but the fact that it could be solved was somehow important.

“Hahahaha, I want to buy it quickly. I’ll buy it and hug it every night when I sleep.”

Jude strongly agreed to Cordelia’s words, and he hurriedly looked into the bidding
board.

There was no immediate purchase price, but without any hesitation, Jude promptly
wrote down twice the original purchase price. In the eyes of others, it was just an
ordinary ceremonial sword, so there was no one who would challenge this amount
of money.

“Let’s look around other places quickly. I really think that there would be more like
this.”

“Yeah, it really smells like treasure.”

Sniffing with her nose, Cordelia headed to a certain direction, as if she was a person
being lured by the treasure with her ‘senses.’

And about an hour later…

“The Cursed Reaper’s Garment, the Ancient Crest, and even the Eastern Warrior’s
Sword.”

Cordelia had a silly snicker behind her mask, and Jude said as he abruptly hugged
Cordelia.

“We hit the jackpot.”

“That’s right, Daddy. We hit the jackpot!”

Cordelia likewise hugged Jude and rejoiced with him.

Because they really hit the jackpot.

As its name suggests, the Cursed Reaper’s Garment was a garment that was cursed.

However, if the curse was removed, it could be used as a Reaper’s Garment, and the
effect of the Reaper’s Garment was as follows.

‘He who wears the garment of the reaper will exude the force of the reaper. Those
who attack a person wearing the reaper’s garment will fall under the reaper’s curse.’

In a word, it was a defensive gear that caused a weak Fear effect to a wide area, and
applied debuffs to those who attacked.

Since it was a fluttering robe, it was perfect for Cordelia to wear it.

‘It goes well with the witch series.’

Whether it was a witch, a reaper, or a demon, they were all associated with the
power of hell.

“The Ancient Crest is a necessary item for the Ancestral Regression technique… and
this Eastern Warrior’s Sword is also really good.”
What was in Jude’s hands was something like a Nodachi that was much longer than a
normal longsword.

As its name suggests, it was a fantasy item from the Eastern continent that existed
across the continent where the Salen Kingdom was located. The performance of the
sword itself was outstanding, but what was important was the fact that it also had an
inherent Ultimate skill like the Heavenly Judgment.

“Hell’s Blood Slash.”

It was a powerful skill with an impressive name, but it was a skill that he couldn’t use
until later because at this point in the early stages of the scenario, the skill wasn’t
good as the excessive force can harm him as well.

“It’s a real jackpot, and most of them are cursed or sealed, so their prices are cheap.”

“Yeah, and even though we’ve bought this much, we still have some money left.”

The Reaper’s Garment was cursed, and since the ancient crest was kind of a puzzle, it
would not function unless it was solved with the proper solution. The Eastern
Warrior’s Sword was also sealed, so a ceremony was needed to release the seal.

“JudeWiki, can you do it?”

“Of course I can, Madam.”

It was the time when Jude answered with a smile.

“But Jude.”

“Yes?”

“Are you… going to continue using fist and foot techniques?”

“Fist and foot techniques?”

“Yes, you’ve been continuously focusing on punches when fighting.”

When Cordelia pointed it out, Jude reflected on himself.

As she had said, the weapons that Jude had used recently involved the use of his two
fists, which included the Lightning Punch, the Lightning Strike Fist, and the God’s
Fist of the Guardians of the Holy Cross.

“Why don’t you take this opportunity to slowly change to a sword? Landius is also a
swordsman.”

Despite Landius’ shocking appearance, he was also a swordsman.

According to him, he would only use his sword in a real crisis.

Moreover, Jude was the child of Count Bayer, one of the ten great swordmasters in
the Salen Kingdom.

Most of the warriors of the Bayer family were also swordsmen, and most of the
treasures that were handed down were related to the sword.

In other words, it was right to use a sword to receive the family’s favor.

“Hmm… is that so? But in the original story, Jude also used everything from swords,
spears, to fists.”

“Because of his Cheonmujiche.”

His Cheonmujiche made him be good at everything that he did with his body.

Even in the original story, Jude was a multi-weapons user who could handle virtually
any existing weapon, just like Maximilian.

“I see… you’re right, Cordelia. Since I already got the Eastern Warrior’s Sword, I can
slowly take the swordsman route.”

“That’s good, that’s good. If it’s a sword, it will be easy to change items.”

The most common weapon in the Legend of Heroes series was the sword.

Even the Heavenly Judgment they got right now was a sword.

At Cordelia’s words, Jude spoke after he pondered for a moment.

“Umm… Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to learn hand-to-hand martial arts?”

T/N: The term that Jude actually used is Che-sul (체술), which means body
technique/skill. However, in Japanese, it is commonly known as ‘Taijutsu.’ Using the
word ‘Taijutsu’ in a Korean novel felt weird, so I opted for a short description of
Taijutsu, which is ‘hand-to-hand martial arts.’

“Hand-to-hand martial arts?”

“Yes, hand-to-hand martial arts. Maybe a little swordsmanship too.”

They were two people who had already disrupted the original story.

Then, it wasn’t no longer necessary for them to follow the flow of the original story
as well.

Unlike the original Cordelia, the present Cordelia had a sense of combat that could
only be described as crazy.

Melee combat was not possible for the original Cordelia, as it was sealed in the game
for balance adjustment, but it would be possible for the present Cordelia.

“Uh… you want me to learn Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors?”

“No, that’s impossible. It’s a martial art that can’t be learned unless you have
Cheonmujiche or have crazy muscles like Master Landius.”

He could tell that now since he had opened the door.

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors was a new technique developed solely for Cheonmujiche.
Unless the person was an iron man like Landius, one wouldn’t be able to overcome
the burden of Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors, and the person’s body would be ruined.

“Since Twenty-Four Gale Steps seems to be related to Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors, I’ll
exclude it from the list, and teach you how to protect yourself with Count Bayer’s
footwork techniques. It will be helpful.”
“Swordsmanship too?”

“You’ll become magic swordsman Cordelia. Isn’t that cool?”

After hearing Jude’s words, Cordelia imagined it for a moment, and soon had a faint
smile.

And Jude thought while looking at such Cordelia.

‘I feel like a real princess maker.’

Of course, no matter how crazy Cordelia’s sense of combat was, it was impossible for
her to develop as an expert swordsman like Lucas.

This is because the inner Qi of the warrior and the mana of the wizard were similar
but also different.

Even if Cordelia learned the basic footwork techniques or ordinary martial arts, she
would not be able to properly learn higher martial art techniques.

So she should focus on her magic first.

Then he’d develop her into a ‘wizard capable of close combat’ by adding hand-to-
hand martial arts and swordsmanship into her main skills as a wizard.

“My daughter, Daddy will also let you learn ‘Mushindo.’”

T/N: I just said that I didn’t want to use Japanese words here, but Jude kept using it so…
here’s the definition of Mushindo.

Mushin in Japanese translates to “no-mind,” which is a mental state that martial artists
are said to enter during combat. It is a condition in which ego and emotions are absent
and the warrior reacts intuitively and moves instinctively. ‘Do’ means method/way, so
it’s ‘no-mind method’ or something like that.

“Yes, Daddy. I only trust in Daddy.”

One way or another, the two were rotten waters of Legend of Heroes 2.

For them, the growth of their characters were more enjoyable than anything else.
“Now, let’s go quickly. I’ll let you know the methods and direction of the Tempest
Step technique, which is the footwork technique of Count Bayer.”

“Yes, Daddy. Let’s go quickly.”

They would become stronger.

They would also strengthen themselves with means that they could not originally
use when it was still a game.

The two rotten waters excitedly and hurriedly left the auction house after taking the
Heavenly Judgment, the Reaper’s Garment, the Ancient Crest, and the Eastern
Warrior’s Sword.

And around twenty minutes later.

When the two arrived at their accommodation, they simultaneously remembered

one fact.

““Red Wind!””

The reason why they went to the auction house in the first place.

The two had completely forgotten her existence because of their unexpected jackpot,
and hurriedly turned their way back.

I’ve also made some corrections to a previous translation:

Great Monarch is now Overlord – Technically, ‘great monarch’ is a correct

translation, but ‘overlord’ sounds more villainous and gives off a last boss vibe, so
‘Overlord’ it is.

Terms used in this chapter:

Nodachi – A large and long Japanese sword, having a long handle suitable for
multiple two handed grip positions.
“As expected, you’re an expert in rearing. Being neglected and having her sight and
hearing sealed for a long time must have left her weaker and dejected.”

The employee said with a smile after they had gone back to the auction house’s sales
office in a hurry.

He was the man they met on the 1st basement floor, who specialized in the slave
business.

Cordelia frowned as she was peeved from hearing the man’s words, but fortunately,
her face was covered by a mask, so no one noticed it.

However, Jude could guess how she felt just by looking at Cordelia’s small gestures.
He then slightly moved to hide Cordelia from the employee’s gaze, before he turned
towards Red Wind.

She was blindfolded with a large leather eye covering, and her hearing and speech
were blocked by a special seal. And just as she was before, she stood upright while
being almost naked.

There were short handcuffs on both her arms, and her legs were bound by short
chains that were barely long enough for her to walk.

‘Had she been left for more than an hour in that state?’

Even the most dauntless person would be depressed and dejected.

In fact, Red Wind’s shoulders were badly drooping, reflecting her depressed state.

“I’ll take her then.”

“Yes, I hope you have a pleasant rearing.”

Nodding a bit to the smiling man, Jude hurriedly stepped forward as he took the
large robe he brought beforehand and used it to cover Red Wind.

“Let’s go back to our accommodation before releasing her. Okay?”

Nothing good will come out if she stood out.

Moreover, the two didn’t have any significant emotional interaction with Red Wind
yet. If they released her here, she would most likely try to escape.

“Okay, let’s go quickly.”

Cordelia responded in a low voice and walked closely to Red Wind, who slowly trod
out of fear.

And thirty minutes later.

Upon arriving at their accommodation, Jude and Cordelia first laid Red Wind in the
bedroom before they came out to the living room and started talking in Korean.

“First of all, we have to become friends with Red Wind.”

Jude nodded his head at Cordelia’s insistence.

Their future journey would take place across the border, so the help of Red Wind,
who was a local to that place, was absolutely necessary.

And what they needed was a relationship built on friendship and trust, and not on a
coercive master-slave relationship.

“But we’re lacking in time.”

The situation where Cordelia and Red Wind became friends was something that
could be easily done.

From Jude’s point of view, no, even from the point of view of his previous life as
Outboxer, Cordelia was kind, pretty, and even honest.

Furthermore, Cordelia liked Red Wind.

Red Wind herself didn’t exactly have an unfriendly personality, so they could easily
become friends soon.

‘But that soon would at least take more than a month.’

They didn’t meet in a normal way but met in the form of a purchase in the slave
market.

It would take a considerable amount of time to ease Red Wind’s wariness.

“So the way I thought of is… why is your expression like that?”

“Because it looks like you’re plotting something evil.”

“Heeyy, what evil plot… It’s just a white lie.”

“In the end, you’re going to deceive her.”

Just as Jude knew Cordelia well, Cordelia also knew Jude well.

As Cordelia’s eyes narrowed, Jude cleared his throat but did not exactly withdraw his
statement.

They really didn’t have time.

And that fact was well known to Cordelia as well.

“What’s your way?”

“It’s a good way.”

“F*ck.”

“Well, it’s sweet to hear that after a long time.”

When Cordelia recoiled at his response that was smooth like flowing water, Jude
laughed as if he was aiming for that in the first place and beckoned to her.

“Come closer. I’ll tell you.”

“You’re always telling me to come closer for a long time.”

Cordelia grumbled as she moved closer to Jude, and Jude explained his plan in a
whisper.

***

Red Wind swallowed her dry saliva as she was lying down on the bed.

She was pretending to stay calm, but she was honestly scared.

What will happen now?

What kind of people are those who bought me?

I need to find a way to cure my father’s illness.

What will happen to my father if I can’t return?

No, what will happen to me right now?

She was scared and afraid. She frequently tried to hold it in, but honestly, she felt like
crying.

‘I have to be strong.’

I have to be strong. I’d rather die than become a northern bastard’s plaything. No, I
can’t just die. I’ll kill and kill them.

Red Wind strongly clenched her teeth, but it was only for a while before her negative
feelings disappeared.

Because she was suddenly overwhelmed with tremendous fatigue.

‘I’m feeling sleepy… hungry… ’

Come to think of it, how long had it been since I’ve lied down in a soft and cozy bed?

Her feelings completely changed because of her drowsiness.

And it was at that moment.

“Wake up, child of the Storm.”

A woman’s strong and pretty voice made Red Wind suddenly open her eyes.

There was no eye covering. She could see ahead of her. But Red Wind immediately
closed her eyes again, because of the dazzling light that filled her surroundings.

“Do not be afraid, child of the Storm. I am Great Storm.”

Red Wind held her breath at the voice that resonated like a voice from the heavens.
She stood up from her spot, bent down, and respectfully bowed.

“Aah! Great Storm!”

It was a reflexive action.

And the voice did not give Red Wind a chance to doubt it.

“Red Wind, daughter of Red Gale. The brave child who went on a journey to cure her
father’s illness.”

Red Wind held her breath again.

It was real.

The pronunciation was a little bad, but that was only a minor problem.

The proof was that it knew everything from her father’s name, to the reason why she
came across the border and into the southerner’s land.

She had never mentioned her father’s name since she came down to the south.

Great Storm.

It was the guardian deity that the Great Storm tribe worshiped and obeyed.

In the Legend of Heroes series, it was one of the beings called the barbarian gods.
“Red Wind, a great crisis is coming throughout the entire tribe, and even across the
Great Plains.”

Red Wind recoiled. Perhaps her father’s illness was also related to the great crisis,
she thought.

“Your thoughts are correct. My child, Red Wind, daughter of Red Gale. I gave a divine
revelation to two southern humans. Thus they have saved you, so join them. Help
them. They will break down the crisis in the north.”

“Southern… humans?”

Red Wind raised her head and asked.

She still couldn’t open her eyes properly because of the dazzling light, but she could
vaguely see a person’s silhouette.

It was a very beautiful silhouette of a woman.

“It is a man and a woman. The woman’s name is Cordelia. The man’s name is Jude.
The red-haired woman is very beautiful and good-natured, but sometimes fierce.
She’s like an animal. The good man is a handsome, fine, and nice person, who always
sincerely understands the animal-like woman. For your information, the woman is
completely in love with the man…”

Why do I somehow have a strange feeling with these lines?

What on earth is the content about?

Cordelia, who was acting as Great Storm, asked Jude with her eyes, but Jude was
consistently playing dumb. She didn’t even know what the written message was
about, as Jude had only written down the Korean pronunciation of the northern
barbarians’ language that she was now reading.

“Child, trust in those two. Help the two people. The two will be your friends.”

That was it.

As soon as Cordelia finished reading the lines, Jude pushed into the room again the
<Sleeping Gas> magic created by combining the <Sleep> magic circle and the
<Wind> magic circle. Red Wind, who had low magic-resistance, fell into a deep sleep
again.

“Good, let’s quickly tie her up again.”

Cordelia, who was on top of the magic circle that projected light, quickly came down
from her spot in the room.

There were various magic circles activated in the room to deceive Red Wind’s senses.

Each one was a low-level magic, but there were a lot of magic circles, so it made quite
a dreamy effect.

“If she woke up in a state of being restrained, like before she fell asleep, she will
think of this moment as just a dream.”

“To such a Red Wind, we’ll approach her, saying that we received Great Storm’s
divine revelation, right?”

“That’s right. Then Red Wind will trust us.”

Because it was the guidance of Great Storm who protected the tribe, and not anyone
else.

“Eh… it makes sense, but I’m somehow uncomfortable.”

“It’s for the great cause. Hang in there.”

“This is sort of… isn’t these just the lines that villains would say in games or movies?”

Saying thus and thus about the just and great cause to protect their selfish desires.

“Hey, it’s not. It really is for the great cause. Anyway, let’s quickly restrain her and put
away the magic circles.”

“Hmm.”

Cordelia reluctantly nodded and began to restrain Red Wind who was in a deep
sleep, while Jude hastily removed the magic circles.
And after about an hour or so.

“Hey, can you hear me?”

Red Wind woke up to the soft and gentle voice. She tried to open her eyes right away,
but she could see nothing but black, because of her blindfold.

“Wait a second, I’ll untie it for you immediately.”

It was the continent’s official language.

It was the words used by the humans guarding the wall.

Red Wind was not skilled with it, but she was capable of speaking it even though she
stammered. She was quite good in listening to it though.

‘O Great Storm… ’

Was it a dream, or was it really a divine revelation?

As if to calm down her anxiety, Red Wind swallowed hard, and at that moment, her
visibility was set free.

“Uh…”

She groaned and adjusted to the light, and her eyes caught the faces of two people.

She both saw a girl and boy whose beauty was to the point that made her eyes open
wide.

Great Wind unconsciously began thinking of Great Storm’s words, and Cordelia
struck the final blow to her.

“Hello, that… I am called Cordelia. This is my fiance, Jude.”

Cordelia and Jude.

The names spoken by Great Storm!

“I, Gre…”
That was it. Red Wind tried to hastily say Great Storm’s name, but instead, she was
helped in sitting up in a crooked posture. The shackles on her hands and feet were
gone.

“You don’t have to be so vigilant. Great Storm guided us to you. That’s why we bought
you at the auction house.”

At Jude’s words, Cordelia nodded and then grabbed the hands of Red Wind.

“You were really scared, right? It’s okay now. We’re here to help you.”

Great Storm.

The divine revelation.

Cordelia’s warm hands and moist eyes.

Her wariness completely disappeared. Ever since she had crossed the border and up
to now, Red Wind had been trying to maintain a strong mind, but it was impossible
for her now.

She felt relieved.

Her tension disappeared.

Her tears burst and came pouring down from her eyes like a dam.

“Uwaaah!”

Because she was only a sixteen-year-old now.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Cordelia tightly hugged Red Wind who burst into tears, but rather than her tears
stopping, it only increased further.

However, it was all right. Cordelia hugged Red Wind tightly, and Red Wind sadly
cried for a long time in Cordelia’s arms.

And as he intensely watched the entire scene, Jude thought.

‘Bingo.’

He thought like that while the two were in the midst of warmness, and he continued
to think that they had succeeded in breaking down Red Wind’s wariness.

They could now become friends with Red Wind without wasting any time or trouble.

‘All is good if the results are good.’

“Ahem, ahem.”

Jude spoke as he excused himself and looked at Cordelia and Red Wind with a
satisfied face.

***

“I-I know. A place to cross the border. Neglect of surveillance. Gap. Blind spot?”

The next morning.

Red Wind was exhausted from crying and had fallen asleep last night. She was now
eating a sandwich that Jude had ordered from the room service, as she spoke in a
stammer.

“Can you guide us?”

“The way only our tribe knows. It’s a secret. But I tell. Cordelia is my friend. Jude is
Cordelia’s man.”

At the end of Red Wind’s words, Cordelia’s faint smile looked somewhat cute, but she
tilted her head once and looked back at Jude.

“Are we going to start right away?”

“I guess so. We’ve been her for two days already, so whether it’s Count Hræsvelgr or
the Devil’s Hand, our pursuers will catch up to us.”

“We’re fugitives.”

When the two had their own conversation, they both spoke in Korean.
Because of that, Red Wind was confused as she didn’t understand what they were
talking about. Cordelia then looked back at her and said.

“We’re going to eat and then go. We’ll ask for your guidance. Do you know how to
ride a horse?”

“I ride horses well. I will guide you.”

Red Wind energetically answered, finishing her meal as she ate the remaining
sandwich in one mouthful and then gulped down the milk.

“Okay, then let’s start right away.”

Their baggage was already loaded on the horse.

With the Eastern Warrior’s Sword on his back, Jude took the lead, while Cordelia had
the Heavenly Judgment on her back and carried the sacred rod as a cane. She
stepped forward as she looked after Red Wind.

“I’m sorry, just keep it on until we cross the border.”

“It’s okay. We can’t help it. I understand.”

It was because of the slave necklace that Red Wind was wearing around her neck.

Red Wind with her snow-white hair and long ears were as prominent as Jude and
Cordelia.

If a northern barbarian walked around without a slave necklace, everyone would see
it as strange.

“Uh… who will ride in front this time?”

As soon as they completed the check-out procedure and came out, the stableman
had already brought forward the horses of Jude and Cordelia.

Since there were three people, two people had to ride together, so Jude asked
Cordelia, and she replied with a wink.

“Shall I ride in front?”

“As the Madam wishes.”

But it was at that moment.

“Cordelia rides with me. I am lighter than Jude. That’s good for the horses.”

That was correct. Somehow, Jude had grown tall and started to gain muscles lately.

“Uh… is that so?”

“Yeah.”

The two somehow unconsciously spoke in an awkward manner, and they all rode on
the horses, with Red Wind behind Cordelia.

And just before their departure…

“Ah!”

“Huh?”

Cordelia looked back at Red Wind who suddenly raised her voice as if she realized
something, and Red Wind spoke with an apologetic look.

“I forgot. From now on, I will take a hint. I will not forget.”

“Uh…?”

You’ll take a hint?

What are you talking about?

However, Red Wind didn’t speak anymore, and Cordelia was feeling doubtful but
didn’t ask any more questions.

Why did I get a strange feeling?

As for the other person.

“…well then, let’s go.”

Jude smiled bitterly as he took the lead, and the three started racing towards the
north.

And at the same time, at the former northern viscount’s territory.

Gael and Adelia were frowning as they faced each other. The two had ran and ran
again through all sorts of means, such as using <Recovery> magic to relieve the
horses’ fatigue.

“Are you saying that they headed north?”

“Yes, they’re still moving north.”

Adelia also tilted her head as she found it strange.

The last place that Jude and Cordelia were discovered was in Frost Anvil.

It was located at the northwest end of the country, so there was nowhere else they
could possibly go if they went north.

If they headed north, there would be the bustling city of Lankebuste, and if they go
further, there would be Thunderdoom Fortress, the nest of the Jackdaws.

But it was strange.

Even if they had headed to Lankebuste, it was impossible that Jude and Cordelia
would have headed to Thunderdoom Fortress.

Moreover, it was the direction the tracking magic pointed to.

On the map, the two were heading somewhere other than Thunderdoom Fortress.

Where are they going?

Are they trying to cross the border?

“Kidnapped.”

“Excuse me?”
“Maybe they were kidnapped? Like being caught by the Devil’s Hand and being
forced to move…”

Gael, who had been speaking so far, stopped talking as he flinched. Because Adelia
had a terrifying expression.

“There is a possibility.”

“Hey, Lady Adelia? That was just my guess…”

“Let’s go quickly.”

Adelia didn’t seem to wait for Gael’s answer as she immediately climbed on the horse
and started running. Gael followed Adelia in a hurry too.

And again in another place…

In a desolate forest.

“They’re heading north. We’ll meet them at the end of the north.”

At the words of Kanos, who had hidden himself in the shade, Saluzia nodded.

The chances of activating Kanos’ foresight was infrequent, but once activated, it
boasted of a significant accuracy rate.

“We go to the northern border.”

This time, they will catch the two.

The demonic humans led by Saluzia began to move.

And one more person…

Unlike what Jude and Cordelia and everyone else had in mind, the person moved and
headed north.
About 300 years ago, there was a king who was called the Civil Engineering King.

He built a great wall across the northern border to prevent the invasion of the
northern barbarians.

It was an enormous and large-scale construction project.

The construction, which began in the fifth year of the Civil Engineering King’s reign,
lasted more than 30 years and was finally finished in the third year after the Civil
Engineering King’s death.

The northern wall was guarded by the Jackdaws.

However, neither the wall nor the Jackdaws were perfect.

As it stretched across the entire border, the entire wall did not have a uniform height,
thickness, and defense.

There was also a limit to the number of Jackdaws, so it was impossible to keep a
close watch on the entire border.

Hence, inevitable gaps occurred.

There were areas where the defense was left only to the wall.

“This way.”

It was the very place where Red Wind crossed the border.

Jude followed Red Wind’s guidance without any complaints, while Cordelia dozed off
with her head in front of Red Wind as they rode on the horse together.

About half an hour passed again like that.

In a place where human traces were scarce and it was deserted and out of sight, Jude
decided to take a break.

“If the patrol passes by, they’ll see our traces.”

Because their footprints could be clearly seen on the snowy field.

But they didn’t worry about that for now.

Jude properly swept the snow under a tree to create a place to sit.

“Cordelia, please.”

“Huh? Okay.”

Cordelia was half-asleep and had a sleepy face, but she sluggishly nodded and heated
the water canteen to make the cold water lukewarm.

No matter how infrequent the place was from humans, it was still within the
surveillance area of the Jackdaws.

If they started a fire, there was a risk of being caught right away because of the
smoke.

“Here, beef jerky.”

“The jerky is hard.”

Cordelia grumbled, but she knew well that they didn’t have much of a choice. After
he gave some to Red Wind as well, they started to chew on the beef jerky.

They continued to eat for a long time without saying a word.

Suddenly, Red Wind tugged Cordelia’s sleeve.

“Huh? What is it?”

When Cordelia asked with a smile, Red Wind hesitated for a while as if she was
choosing her words, before she spoke again.
“Cordelia, I, curious about one thing, that.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Fack? F*ck? What does that mean?”

“…huh?”

Cordelia asked again with a stunned face, and Red Wind said again.

“Cordelia, often, you say it. Jude and secret words, words of love, that you share.”

It was something that was not in the continent’s official language.

‘Words of love’ that were often used by the two.

When Red Wind carefully listened, ‘f*ck’ was a word that came out very often.

“N-no. Wait, wait a second.”

Cordelia was embarrassed. She was so embarrassed that she didn’t even think about
the comment on the words of love.

“H-how do I explain?”

It had been quite some time since the two had began talking in Korean, and her old
habit had revived.

Cordelia groaned and looked back at Jude, and Jude replied with his eyes.

‘It’s karma, karma. Who told you to swear so much?’

‘It’s not a curse? It’s an exclamation?’

But it was a useless quarrel.

Cordelia turned to Red Wind again instead of the unhelpful Jude, as she said as
calmly as possible.

“That… what ‘f*ck’ means is…”

“Yes, f*ck.”

Cordelia flinched at Red Wind saying that with a smile. It felt like the Red Wind that
she liked so much was swearing at her.

“Ah… well, that is. That is… an exclamation.”

“Exclamation?”

“Yeah… exclamation. So cool! Wonderful! Amazing! Well… something like that?”

It didn’t sound like her explanation worked, but when one thought about it, Cordelia
had in fact, used that very word for that kind of purpose.

Upon hearing Cordelia’s desperate explanation, Red Wind’s eyes sparkled and then
she said with a broad smile.

“F*ck Cordelia. F*ck Jude. Both of you are f*ck!”

Red Wind brightly shouted before she sent an impatient gaze to Cordelia.

It seemed her eyes were asking for an answer.

“Ye-yes… Red Wind is f*ck.”

“F*ck Cordelia, so good, f*ck!”

As Red Wind hugged Cordelia and cursed, or rather, repeated the ‘exclamation,’ Jude
finally couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“Kuku… ku… haha, haha… is this karma?”

Although Red Wind brightly using foul language was shocking, it seemed to be
helpful in some way.

That way would be Cordelia reducing her use of exclamations in the future due to
education issues.

And indeed, when Cordelia tried to exclaim in succession by reflex, she tightly shut
her mouth and was in distress.
“Ah, this is so funny. It’s so much fun.”

“Jude, is this funny?”

“Uh, I’m glad that the two of you are having fun.”

Jude roughly evaded Cordelia’s angry look and said to Red Wind again.

“Red Wind, are we entering the valley like this?”

“Yes, but the valley is rugged. It’s narrow. The horse can’t go.”

At Red Wind’s words, Cordelia was surprised as her eyes widely opened, while Jude
nodded.

Because Jude had already roughly guessed it.

‘It would be natural as it is a place where the surveillance of the Jackdaws is

negligent.’

“Jude, what about the horses then?”

At the same time he was thinking, he heard Cordelia’s voice.

Jude replied with a shrug as they had no other choice.

“We have to release them.”

“They’ll be released?”

“Oh, they’ll become wild horses… or some lucky person will find them.”

Cordelia had a very unwilling expression at hearing Jude’s answer, as she found the
fact to be really hard.

“Let’s release them at this point. If we take them deep into the valley, we’ll have
trouble coming out too.”

“…I understand.”
Cordelia replied with a gloomy voice before standing up from her seat and releasing
the saddle of the horse she had been riding on so far. There was a sense of regret in
each of her touch, as if she held a lot of affection for it.

‘Somehow, you’re very affectionate.’

Jude happily watched her before he rose from his seat too, unfastened the saddle of
the horse, and brought together their small luggage.

And the time of parting finally came.

Jude and Cordelia made the horses run forward by slapping the horses’ butt.

The two horses began running on the white snow field.

“Farewell, Jude.”

“Farewell, Cordelia.”

The two who spoke at the same time looked back at each other and said immediately
again.

“Cordelia? You named the horse Cordelia?”

“Yours is Jude?”

“No, it was a male horse.”

“In that case, me too. It was a female horse.”

Red Wind burst out into a laugh at hearing the two’s words.

“You’re of the same mind. You two. Really f*cking fantastic.”

She had a bright, innocent, and pretty smile.

‘Do something about her.’

‘I-I’ll work hard.’

After finishing their conversation with just their eyes, Jude and Cordelia tried to stop
Red Wind who was trying to use her newly learned vocabulary, as they urged her to
step forward again.

***

Time had passed.

In the afternoon, the group was able to reach the valley’s entrance after passing
through the storming blizzard that started.

“It widens after passing here. Just have to struggle a bit.”

Red Wind said as they passed a narrow path that one person could barely pass
through, while Jude wondered if they should camp-out tonight or move overnight.

And Cordelia suddenly stopped.

“Cordelia?”

Jude discovered it too late as he turned around and asked, but Cordelia didn’t
immediately answer. She looked behind her back with a frown.

“Hey, it’s a strange story… but I don’t have a good feeling here.”

She had been feeling something ominous since a while ago. It was as if someone was
stabbing a spear from behind.

If it were someone else’s words, he would have let it go.

But it was Cordelia’s words.

‘Cordelia’s sense is special.’

Her sense was simply great – it wasn’t something that ended at that level.

Various abilities existed in Pleiades, the world of Legend of Heroes.

In fact, it wasn’t just Cordelia, as Jude’s own memory and calculation abilities were in
a stronger state compared to the days when he was on Earth and even before he
awakened here and opened the 2nd door of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

The same could be said of Cordelia’s sensitivity.

Perhaps it was a power that belonged to something that was close to foresight.

In fact, Cordelia’s sense had been much more accurate than before, since she had
learned the Witch Transformation.

“I don’t see anything.”

Said Red Wind.

As she possessed the blood of winter elves, her vision was superior than that of
humans, so she couldn’t see any enemies within her sight nearby them.

But Jude believed in Cordelia’s sense.

“Let’s hurry up.”

Jude started to walk as if he was almost running, and Cordelia also increased her
speed. Thus, Red Wind had no choice but to run and follow the two people.

The narrow path ended, and a wide road came into sight. It was a basin terrain
surrounded by steep cliffs.

There was still no one near them. It was a quiet place with only the three of them
here.

But Cordelia kept looking back.

Her ominous feeling kept getting stronger and stronger. The sensation of being
stabbed in the back also grew stronger.

“Owooooh!”

At that very moment, the roar of a beast came over their heads.

Above the valley.

Three large dogs came down from the steep wall. With dark red fur and yellow eyes,
they were definitely not ordinary wild animals.

“Hellhound!”

A demonic dog.

It didn’t end with the three. More demonic dogs appeared from above the valley.

“Run!”

The screaming Jude promptly threw away the luggage he was carrying and then
carried Red Wind on his back. Cordelia also immediately activated the Witch
Transformation and cast <Haste> magic on herself and Jude.

“Owooooh!”

“Awooh!”

More than ten Hellhounds came down from the wall in a rush.

Jude clenched his teeth and focused only on running. Intercepting multiple enemies
was Cordelia’s specialty, and not that of Jude himself.

“Get away from us!”

As Cordelia’s dark red hair fluttered, she released her magic. More than ten magic
missiles struck the middle of the Hellhounds’ foreheads as if they were guided
missiles.

It was a really marvelous skill. In the entire Salen Kingdom, one could barely count in
their hands those who can show that level of control while in the middle of running
with <Haste> activated.

The Hellhounds who were struck in the middle of their foreheads fell off at random.
Cordelia continued to cast <Grease> in succession over a wide area as she caught up
with Jude. And while all that was happening, she spit out some strange words.

“Something, I can feel there’s something more!”

A feeling that she found difficult to explain herself.

Jude ran and looked back. Thanks to the area with <Grease>, the Hellhounds were
held back and stranded at the pretty much wide area.

‘They’re the advance party.’

No matter how deserted the place was, they couldn’t have brought ten Hellhounds
from the beginning, so it was evident that they were summoned nearby.

And that meant one thing.

Saluzia had moved.

She, the branch head, had finally come and struck them here.

But how did that happen? It was normally not possible.

Even if they had noticed that the group’s purpose was to cross the border, it was
impossible for them to attack their group in such a desolate place as if it was an
ambush.

The group didn’t specify their location to anyone else, nor did they give a clue to
infer their purpose, as was the case with the Sunflower.

There was something. Something that Jude himself didn’t know.

Jude cut off his thoughts there.

What was important was the fact that Saluzia was somewhere nearby.

Jude kept running and thinking.

Cordelia’s sense.

There was another thing that she felt.

It wasn’t Saluzia.

Saluzia was with the pack of Hellhounds.

It was an ambiguous feeling in the first place, but that did not mean that it was
something chaotic.

The other one.

The other one that Cordelia felt.

“Caaww!”

Jude and Cordelia simultaneously looked at the sky.

They saw a crow.

And at that moment, Jude realized it. Cordelia also had a hunch.

That was it.

That another thing that Cordelia felt.

They had to follow that crow to get out of their current crisis.

“Jackdaw?!”

Red Wind who belatedly spotted the crow, said in a voice mixed with fear.

For her, a northern barbarian, the jackdaw was a bad omen among all the bad omens.

But it wasn’t.

The completely jet-black bird was different from a jackdaw.

It was a pure crow.

As for what that meant…

“Owooooh!”

The Hellhounds managed to get out of the area with <Grease> with some difficulty
and began to speed up and bark again.
Instead of looking at them, Jude looked up the sky. The crows were increasing. They
seemed to increase one by one, and before he knew it, the crows covered the sky. The
sound of their flapping wings in the sky alone seemed to be ear-splitting.

Red Wind was very frightened and shrank her body. Moreover, her eyes saw the
direction they were heading to now.

“A cliff!”

It was a cliff. But Jude didn’t stop. Rather, he ran faster. The Hellhounds noisily cried
behind his back.

“Owooooooh!”

“Awoooo!”

Jude saw Cordelia. So did Cordelia, and she nodded. She refreshingly smiled.

One could count in their hands the characters in Legend of Heroes who had such a
splendid entrance.

Or rather, there was only one person that the crow symbolized in the first place!

“Hug me!”

Jude stretched out his hand. Cordelia threw herself at Jude, and he barely carried
Cordelia in his arms while Red Wind was on his back. Together, he threw themselves
over the cliff.

“Kyaaaaa!”

Red Wind screamed, but it was for a short time.

The flapping sound of the wings made by the dozens, or rather, hundreds of birds,
swallowed up all the surrounding sounds.

The flock of crows shrouded Jude and Cordelia. Cordelia tightly hugged Jude’s neck
as she closed her eyes. So did Jude.

And time passed.

The sound of the wings that seemed to never end gradually died down.

Solid ground.

A place where they could step on and stand.

Jude staggered for a while, but soon regained his balance. He slowly opened his eyes,
confirming the existence of Cordelia, whom he held tightly in his arms.

They were still in a place covered with white snow. The crows that flew into the sky
scattered in all directions and disappeared.

And in the front.

A person looked at Jude and Cordelia who were supporting each other and breathing
roughly.

That person had dark blue eyes, pure white hair and a white face, but everything else
was jet-black.

Jude knew that person, who was wearing a long black robe over his head. Therefore,
he put that person’s name on his mouth first.

“Jude Bayer greets Kamael.”

The Ghostblade Kamael.

One of the six heads of the Guardians of the Holy Cross.

The protagonist, who together with Landius, were the two giant stars of Legend of
Heroes 1.

“Landius’ disciple.”

Kamael spoke in a low voice, responding to Jude’s call. And then stepped towards
Jude and Cordelia.
When one thinks of the word ‘fantasy,’ it conjures up thoughts of swords and magic.
Thus, numerous swordsmen existed in Pleiades, the world of Legend of Heroes.

More than half of the characters used swords, and there was also a high proportion
of swordsmen among the playable characters.

In particular, the main characters of each episode, such as Landius and Kamael in
episode 1, Maximilian in episode 2, and Luichel in episode 3, all used swords as their
main weapon, so it could be said that among all the characters, those who were
called ‘heroes’ used swords.

‘Thus, it can be said that the Four Great Swordsmen symbolized the strongest people
in Legend of Heroes.’

These Four Great Swordsmen were chosen by players among the many swordsmen
characters.

The Four Great Swordsmen was not a title that existed in the setting, as it was a kind
of meme commonly used like the Four Heavenly Kings and the Four Great Kings, but
because it was so widely used in Legend of Heroes, the title was virtually treated as
an official setting.

‘Kamael, Maximilian, Luther, and Scarlet.’

There was a lot of discussion on who among the four was the strongest, but in any
case, Kamael took the lead among the Four Great Swordsmen and the allies and
enemies altogether.

‘He was also the only character that appeared in the entire Legend of Heroes series.’

That was why some say that Kamael was the true main character of the Legend of
Heroes series.
‘He had a lot of fans ever since he appeared in the first episode.’

Although Jude himself liked Landius more, Kamael was in the top range if he ranked
in sequence all the characters that had appeared in the game.

‘Now then, about Kamael.’

The Ghostblade.

He was the strongest in the Guardians of the Holy Cross if you exclude Elendia, their
leader, who was completely shrouded in mystery.

As one of the Four Great Swordsmen, he owns the extremely cold magic sword
‘Almace,’ one of the 7 famous swords in Legend of Heroes.

Unlike Landius, who underwent a shocking visual change in 10 years, Kamael

remained the same familiar character when he appeared in the second episode.

He was dressed in black with a hood covering his pure-white hair.

He had a beautiful face that heavily exuded a neutral charm, and infinitely cold blue
eyes that were like gems.

As if it was his character setting, he had a stiff facial expression and rarely smiled
except when he’s with Landius, who had been with him since the first episode.

He quietly stared at Jude before he opened his mouth and spoke again.

“I was observing your movements at the request of Landius.”

Jude nodded a little at Kamael’s words.

Because Landius was a magnanimous person and not a foolish one.

He wasn’t a person who would leave his disciple unattended.

“In fact, I tried to somehow end my observation here in the north, but I couldn’t.
Because Saluzia moved.”

It was Saluzia, one of the six branch executives of the Devil’s Hand.
The power of a high-ranking demonic human was comparable to the heads of the
Guardians of the Holy Cross, and even as one of the heads of the Guardians of the
Holy Cross, he had no choice but to be focused and stay alert in order to immediately
respond against her.

“I found and saved you while I was tracking down Saluzia’s whereabouts.”

It was a roughly understandable story.

And it was really like Kamael to start an explanation and not care about
introductions.

To put it simply, he was not interested in anyone other than Landius and his
colleagues in the first episode.

“Where were you going? If you keep moving north, there wouldn’t be any other place
except outside of the border.”

It was a low but beautiful voice.

Jude pointed towards the trembling Red Wind behind Cordelia and said.

“She is Red Wind, a member of the Great Storm tribe. In order to cure her father’s
illness, we were crossing the border… and on our way to the land of barbarians.”

Because Red Wind was with them and listening, Jude was reluctant to use the word
‘barbarian,’ but there was no other different term for it that he could use right now.

At Jude’s explanation, Kamael knit his brows.

“How is a child from the 12 northern families and a barbarian girl related?”

“There was a divine revelation from the barbarian god, Great Storm.”

When Cordelia stepped forward and spoke, Kamael’s eyes were filled with curiosity.

“Barbarian god?”

“Yes.”
Cordelia replied once again and secretly glanced at Jude afterwards. Because it was
her asking for help, Jude also spoke.

“Great Storm is the barbarian god of the wind who watches over the Great Storm
tribe. And… I heard that the illness of Red Wind’s father, Red Gale, seems to be
related to the power of demons.”

Red Wind was startled and surprised by Jude’s words as her eyes widely opened, but
on the contrary, Kamael’s eyes narrowed.

“Indeed, that is something worth investigating.”

Kamael didn’t know much about the demon followers that settled down in the land
of the barbarians beyond the border.

However, Kamael was someone who had willingly declared an oath to eradicate all
the demon followers that existed in this world.

His eyes, which had been indifferent until now, were now filled with emotions for the
first time.

“I see, your purpose is to cross the border. As Landius’ acquaintance, I’ll help you up
to there.”

“Before that, Kamael, I’d like to ask you one question.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the movement of the Devil’s Hand. Does one of our enemies have the
ability of foresight?”

First of all, to the best of Jude’s own knowledge, there was no one in the Devil’s Hand
who possessed the ability of foresight.

However, the Devil’s Hand were their enemy, and not their ally.

Naturally, he couldn’t identify all their secrets during the time when he played it as a
game.

‘They appeared as if they were waiting for us.’

The Hellhounds of the Devil’s Hand.

It was only during Frost Anvil that their location was specified, as it was possible for
them to gather clues and track them down because Jude had a clear motive to go to
Frost Anvil in order to search for the Sunflower.

But now, this place was a snowfield where there were few to entirely no people.

It was possible to follow the trail, but it was impossible to predict where they would
go in order to set up an ambush.

At Jude’s question, Kamael considerably looked at Jude in interest before asking.

“Why do you think it’s a foresight ability?”

“Because it’s hard to explain the ambush if there was no foresight ability. And… my
guess is, their foresight ability seems to be imperfect.”

Judging from Kamael’s reaction, it seemed that there was indeed a foresight ability
within the members of the Devil’s Hand.

But fortunately, it was very likely that the ability was imperfect.

Hearing Jude’s words, Kamael’s face became like that of a teacher testing their
student.

“Why do you say it’s imperfect?”

“Because of the appearance of Hellhounds.”

If it was a perfect foresight ability, it would be Saluzia and the demonic humans who
would appear in that position instead of the Hellhounds.

But it was the Hellhounds that appeared.

It could only infer one thing here.

Their foresight was imperfect. And because it was not a perfect foresight, they
released the Hellhounds over a wide range, and one of them encountered Jude’s
party.
Kamael had a very faint smile at Jude’s hypothesis, and then he whispered in a low
voice.

“Are you really the disciple of Landius?”

Jude wondered on what the connection was between his reasoning ability and
Landius, and also wondered why Cordelia was casually humming all of a sudden. But
Kamael himself was convinced and had a stiff expression again as he said.

“That’s right. In the Devil’s Hand, there’s a middle-ranking demonic human called
Kanos who has an imperfect foresight ability. According to my investigation so far, it
seems that his foresight could only tell the rough location. And given that he hasn’t
frequently used it, I think that he cannot freely control the ability itself.”

“Indeed, so it was like that.”

Imperfect foresight.

With that in mind, Jude also understood on what happened at Frost Anvil.

They knew that Jude and Cordelia were going to Frost Anvil, but they didn’t exactly
know when and what route the two were going through.

And that was why they made a mistake when they held their ground and waited for
the two on the 1st floor.

‘Is this the price for being too lucky at the casino and auction house?’

There was no such thing as a law of total luck, so it was natural to think that it was
crazy when their foresight that they could not freely control, suddenly succeeded in
succession.

‘Whatever.’

It was bound to be annoying if there was a foresight ability on the enemy side.
Crossing the border would get them out of the Devil’s Hand’s area, so they wouldn’t
have to pay much attention to the enemy by then, but when they come back later,
they would have to resolve that issue.

But it was then.

Cordelia suddenly tugged the edge of Jude’s sleeve and sent him a quiet glance.

‘It’s strange.’

‘What?’

‘It’s just a little strange.’

Kamael was strange.

It was a groundless story, but Cordelia’s words bothered him.

And at the exchange of the two, Kamael had a faint smile again.

“Your sense is good, girl.”

“…it’s Cordelia.”

Kamael had a similar way of speaking like his friend Landius.

He turned back to Jude and said again.

“It is my clone who is in this place now.”

A clone made from the secret arts of the Guardians of the Holy Cross.

Since it had appeared several times in Legend of Heroes 2, Jude was first surprised
but was soon convinced.

‘No, wait. It’s a problem if he’s a clone.’

The strength of the Ghostblade Kamael, one of the Four Great Swordsmen, was
different from the other heads of the Guardians of the Holy Cross.

Two higher-ranking demonic humans like Saluzia was not enough, and three of them
must be gathered before they could have a chance at confronting him.

However, the story was a little different if it was a clone.

‘It would be possible for Saluzia to fight against him.’

At his current status, it was certainly possible. If they properly fought, Saluzia was
more likely to win.

“This clone will now be heading north to strike Saluzia.”

The Guardians of the Holy Cross was not only active in the Salen Kingdom. As they
were active throughout the continent, Kamael did not always stay in the Salen
Kingdom.

‘That’s another reason why he’s using a clone in the first place.’

“Do not worry too much. I will not leave alone those who have received the
barbarian god’s divine revelation. I will protect you until you reach the border.”

Kamael straightly said that when Jude’s expression became serious.

But Jude shook his head.

“No, I think it would be better for us to move separately.”

Do not let Kamael accompany them.

At Jude’s words, Red Wind blinked her eyes, but not for Cordelia. Because she
understood Jude’s real intention.

“The only one who can stop Saluzia is Kamael. On the other hand, Saluzia is
absolutely necessary on their side in order to stop Master Kamael.”

“So?”

Rather than being really curious, his eyes had a testing look again.

Therefore, Jude explained in detail like a student making a presentation.

“When Master Kamael shows up, Saluzia has no choice but to move. It’s good if they
mistakenly think it’s your real body and hide their tails between their legs and run
away immediately, but it isn’t bad if they notice that it’s a clone too. Saluzia will not
be able to neglect Master Kamael. They will surely think that my group is hiding
together with the real Kamael. If it doesn’t work though, Master Kamael can attack
Saluzia then.”
A confrontation between the strongest person of each side.

Have the white queen and black queen engage with each other to prevent each side
from moving.

Kamael now understood Jude’s real intention. So he asked as his gem-like eyes
narrowed.

“Can you do it?”

What Jude meant was simple.

As long as it’s not Saluzia.

The two can pass through all the other enemies through their own efforts.

That is why they needed to separate Saluzia in advance, as she’s the greatest risk
factor. They’ll remove Saluzia herself from the battlefield so that they could move.

“If the two of us are together, we can do it.”

When Jude held Cordelia’s hand as he spoke, Cordelia seriously nodded her head too.

If the two are together, they can do it.

Red Wind, who was not included in their declaration, had a gloomy expression, but
Kamael only saw Jude and Cordelia. And soon, he smiled.

“It reminds me of Landius.”

If the two of us are together, we can do it – It was what Landius habitually said during
their hardships in the Paragon Kingdom.

And indeed, Kamael and Landius did it.

So Kamael nodded his head.

“Okay, I’ll move along with your plan. But before that…”

The end of Kamael’s words trailed off, as he walked straight towards Jude and
stopped in front of him. Kamael then asked, looking straight into Jude’s eyes.

“I heard that you ate the Sunflower. But was there any problem while you were
ingesting it?”

At Kamael’s question, Jude nodded after a little hesitation.

Because it was true.

While in the middle of absorbing the Sunflower, he had quit once and went to battle
in order to save Cordelia.

However, Jude did not look back at Cordelia. Because he was somehow worried that
Cordelia would feel burdened.

But Cordelia’s hand, who was still holding on Jude’s hand, slightly twitched.

Kamael said again.

“Indeed, it was not absorbed properly. It wasn’t that you couldn’t absorb all of it…
but that it couldn’t fully settle down in your body. But thanks to that, your
Gueumjulmaek is almost cured.”

Kamael, who had spoken so far, placed his hand on Jude’s shoulder. He looked down
as he said.

“It’s impossible to completely cure it right now. However, the distortion caused by
the interrupted flow during absorption can be corrected.”

Cordelia’s face instantly brightened at Kamael’s words.

“Really?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Because he was Landius’ disciple, and not anyone else.

If it was someone else, Kamael would have ignored it even if Jude had properly
absorbed it or not.
“I’ll correct the distortion. Then the Cheonmujiche would be able to properly exert
its power.”

“Wait, its proper power?”

Cordelia asked again.

If so, what the hell was that Cheonmujiche that we had seen so far then?

“Cheonmujiche is the heavenly talent for martial arts. Even if I correct the current
distortion, it is still not possible for it to exert its full power. Because the
Cheonmujiche had been suppressed by the Gueumjulmaek for a very long time.”

In short, what he was saying was that Jude’s current Cheonmujiche was not yet the
full power of the true Cheonmujiche.

It would still not be at its full power, even after the treatment that Kamael said he
would do.

‘Cheonmujiche is completely a cheat.’

Cordelia absurdly looked at Jude, but soon, her face brightened up again.

Because Jude wasn’t someone else’s cheat, but her side’s cheat.

T/N: The word that Cordelia actually used is uri-jip (우리집), which can mean ‘my
house,’ ‘our home,’ or ‘our place.’ ‘Uri’ is usually used when addressing your own family
members. So technically, Cordelia was sort of unconsciously (?) acknowledging Jude as
‘belonging to her house/home,’ or that he is hers already, hahaha. I used ‘her side’
though, as using ‘my home’s cheat’ looked weird.

“We don’t have time. Can I start right now?”

“Yes, please.”

Jude couldn’t refuse this opportunity.

Or rather, it was the main character of the first episode who had offered him this
much opportunity, so he couldn’t refuse.
When Jude agreed, Kamael said with a little mischievous smile.

“It will seriously hurt like hell.”

“Yes?”

That was it.

An excruciating pain suddenly struck Jude’s whole body.

An explanation regarding the chapter’s title:

Winter Flower refers to the “Camellia” flower. And in some languages, Camellia
sounds similar to “Kamael,” so the Winter Flower is indirectly referencing the
character Kamael. Why that is so is something the author only knows. Maybe his
parents named him after the Camellia flower and because he’s a guy, it became
Kamael? I don’t know, but that’s the closest explanation I could give.
Saluzia stood on the cliff, where Jude and Cordelia had jumped, and clenched her
fists.

She was crushing the crow’s black feathers within her grasp.

“Kamael, the Ghostblade.”

It was unlikely that it was his real body.

It was only 15 days ago that he was spotted in the southern part of the Salen
Kingdom. Even if he suddenly appeared and disappeared like a ghost to hide his
movements, he would still be not be able to quickly come to the northernmost part
from the southernmost part within 15 days.

“Don’t give up. I can still capture her.”

As the branch head herself, she couldn’t leave this place without delivering any
results.

Talking to herself, she threw the crow feathers she had crushed into a mess onto the
ground as she thought.

‘Catch Cordelia.’

In addition, she’ll eliminate the clone of Kamael, one of the main forces of the
Guardians of the Holy Cross, which was her organization’s enemy.

This much would be a considerable achievement. It was still too early for her to give
up.

And that was the moment.

“Caaw!”
Saluzia immediately raised her head at the crow’s shrill cry. A flock of crows were
moving fast in the air from afar.

As if it were luring and provoking her.

“How funny, Kamael.”

Saluzia sharpened her eyes at the flock of crows as she glared at it with a piercing
look.

She couldn’t just let that flock of crows leave.

Because there was a possibility that Cordelia was with him.

She couldn’t just let Kamael’s clone leave as it is.

“I won’t let you escape.”

Splendid and enormous deer-like horns sprouted from Saluzia’s head. At the same
time, devil’s wings spread out from behind her back.

It was the demonization of the high-ranking demonic human.

That alone shook the atmosphere of the surrounding area. A purple evil aura rose
like flames from Saluzia’s whole body as it tainted the ground and sky. The snow in
the snowfield completely melted.

Saluzia flew up.

As she pursued the flock of crows, she mulled over.

‘It was you.’

The one who defeated Sisioth at Frost Anvil.

The one who wiped out the demonic humans and monsters.

She understood it now.

It was impossible for Jude and Cordelia to defeat Sisioth with the full power that they
displayed in Langesthei.

Because those two were no match to the low-ranking demonic humans that she had
dispatched together.

In fact, even Lucas who was widely known as the Girin of Count Hræsvelgr, couldn’t
even properly fight against a low-ranking demonic human.

‘He’s just a rookie who had only began to learn martial arts.’

In fact, if Jude fought her, he wouldn’t be able to hit her even if he used all his power.

It was Cordelia whom she looked out for, but in the end, Cordelia was just an
inexperienced novice wizard.

It didn’t make sense for such two people to defeat the demon and demonic humans
in succession.

‘It was you, Kamael.’

You were hunting the Devil’s Hand with the two as bait.

Saluzia’s suspicion soon turned into a conviction. She was worked up as her pursuit
became faster.

Dozens of light blades rose from her purple evil aura and suddenly attacked the flock
of crows, but the flock of crows magnificently danced in the air and soon became one
as it landed on the ground.

The Ghostblade revealed his appearance among the dozens of crows.

“Kamael.”

Saluzia also settled down on the ground. Kamael drew a magic sword from the air
and faced Saluzia with an indifferent look.

“Are you alone? That’s stupid. Did you think Cordelia could run away if you held me
back?”

Saluzia herself did not come alone. Among the branch’s troops, only the elite came
and gathered here.

Kamael knew it too. While he was flying on the way here, he saw Saluzia’s
subordinates scattered all over the place.

The Jackdaws guarding the north were looking out beyond the border, and not those
who were inside the border.

Moreover, it was almost impossible to get the help of the Jackdaws as this was a
deserted place with very few people.

Therefore, Jude and Cordelia could only break through the siege of the Devil’s Hand
with their strength alone.

Impossible.

Something like that couldn’t happen.

What could those two children do at best?

Saluzia’s arguments weren’t generally wrong.

They were correct statements.

But Kamael replied with a calm expression.

“They said yes.”

“What?”

“They said they could run away.”

Or rather, it wasn’t just that. Jude had said that he would definitely break through.

And one more thing.

An important fact that he learned while correcting the distortion of the Sunflower.

“Yin-Yang Body.”
He was an existence who had the potential to inherit and possess both Landius’
extreme Yang energy and Kamael’s extreme Yin energy.

That was it. Kamael didn’t drag it any longer.

Like when he was with Landius, he showed a faint smile and held the sword he had
pulled out.

He said in provocation to Saluzia.

“Come.”

I will fight you alone.

Saluzia burst into anger at the eyes that belittled her. She charged towards Kamael.

***

Jude ran.

A simple action of moving forward by spurring on the ground with his two feet.

But it was different.

The feeling itself has changed from before.

His hands and feet felt free.

There was a pleasure that came from the fact that he can move his own body in the
way that he truly wanted.

It wasn’t just that.

His whole body was overflowing with strength.

The circulation of Qi energy became faster. He thought that all the martial arts he
had used so far were fake.

“Chu-pa-ha!”
Yelling a cry with an unknown meaning, Jude stepped forward. With a bright smile,
he carried out the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

It was the genuine Twenty-Four Gale Steps!

Baang-!

The air burst.

More than ten gusts of wind spread out in all directions, and in the meantime, Jude
became a gale. Without hesitation, he swept towards the enemies in front of him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Peals of thunder burst out.

In the place where the gale swept, the heads and necks of the Hellhounds were
broken. And then without fail, a golden whirlwind rose and swept around.

Cordelia couldn’t even see him properly.

In her eyes as a wizard, it was impossible to accurately observe Jude’s movement.

He swiftly moved and faced head-on.

He faced the Hellhound head-on.

The Hellhound tried to bite Jude off, but it was impossible. Like the wind, he passed
by the Hellhound’s attack.

At the same time, a golden whirlwind interrupted the Hellhound’s movement.

A peal of thunder burst again.

A thunderbolt strike broke the Hellhound’s whole body.

Bang!

The sound burst!

Jude looked back. He checked Cordelia and Red Wind before he became a gale again
and ran straight to the front.

“Beast.”

Cordelia unconsciously said. In her Witch Transformation, she ran and used the
magic blade to deal the last hit to the enemies that Jude had knocked down. At the
same time, she identified the pursuers who were gathering.

“Haa! Haa!”

Red Wind was just running and following behind Jude.

Thanks to a forbidden elixir made by mixing various potions, it became possible for
her to run at Jude and Cordelia’s speed.

But as expected, she was still new to it. She was running out breath from just
following them.

“Haa!”

Jude ran forward and made a Holy Cross.

The huge golden Holy Cross, which was twice as big as before, stretched out and
moved towards the front. It was an attack similar to the Holy Cross he had used in
the witch’s forest.

It was thanks to the inner Qi amplified by the Sunflower.

Moreover, Jude could feel it.

This was not it.

There was still a way to make it more efficient. With it, he can use a stronger and
faster sacred battle aura.

Cheonmujiche.

A heavenly talent for martial arts! The incarnation of martial arts!

Boooooom!

The monster in front of him collided with the Holy Cross and was shattered.

It was a natural occurrence for Snow Golems to frequently appear along the
northern border.

Jude ran through the monster’s shattered body. Cordelia then shouted behind him.

“They’re rushing from both sides! 7 o’clock! 2 o’clock!

Trees blocked the view of those places.

However, Cordelia’s sense after entering the Witch Transformation was almost as
good as a radar.

Jude immediately understood Cordelia’s words. She even pointed out the direction,
so he easily dealt with the situation.

Whirlwind.

The continuous gale.

And a peal of thunder burst out again!

“Yaaaah!”

Jude cried out, and Cordelia thought again.

‘You always say I’m an animal or beast, but you’re more of a beast!’

But it was good. Cordelia somehow found herself repeatedly laughing.

The only one who couldn’t laugh was Red Wind. But she could see them too despite
hurriedly running after them.

The fact that the power of the two far exceeds that of her peers.

It was the reason why the Great Storm chose these two people!
“There it is!”

A piercing roar came from the front.

It was the loud cry of someone with purple skin and a giant build.

Jude and Cordelia simultaneously saw him. And identified him.

“Baras!”

“Synthetic demonic human made from monsters, not demons!”

“Specialty is rushing!”

“Attribute is flame! But he doesn’t use attribute attacks, so you can ignore it!”

“Can only attack in a straight line! Attacking the side is the rule!”

“Magic defense is unusually high!”

“Weakness against slash!”

“Vicious killer!”

As they shouted back and forth, Baras instantly fell into confusion.

“H-how!?”

Have you ever met me yourselves?

No, even if we had met, how do you know me so much!

At the time that Baras was bewildered, Jude and Cordelia have already completed
their attack on Baras.

“<Bind>!”

“<Grease>!”

Jude and Cordelia shouted in turn.

<Bind> magic bound Baras’ ankles, and at that moment, he lost his balance and fell
on the slippery ground with <Grease> magic.

His high magic defense meant that he was strong against magic damage, not that he
could interfere with magic itself. So <Bind> and <Grease> would work well enough
for him.

“Agh!”

And they continued.

Cordelia ran past him and stretched out her hand. With the power of the witch, she
used a blue telekinetic power to flip him over the slippery floor.

“Ack!”

Baras was turned upside down as if he was rolling over ice. Of course, as a synthetic
demonic human with the power of a monster, he immediately used his strength to
destroy the <Bind> magic. He successively enveloped his whole body with mana to
increase his defense.

Jude just disregarded it.

Baras thought that the attacks would continue, so he stood up in a fluster, but he
could only see it then.

Jude was standing in front of him.

He saw the figure of Jude drawing his sword while wrapped around by a whirlwind
that had still not disappeared.

Jude carried out one attack.

The deadly strike of the Eastern Warrior’s Sword that he remembered.

‘Hell’s Blood Slash.’

The Eastern Warrior’s Sword made a loud noise. At the same time, Cordelia met eyes
with Baras. With one eye closed, she used the <Evil Eye> to paralyze him and
interrupt his movement. It wasn’t a complete eye contact, because she was worried
about the backlash. In fact, she had used it weakly just to distract him, but that was
enough.

A huge red slash split Baras’ chest.

Black blood that was unique to a synthetic demonic human spurted out, and a ring of
pure white light emerged around Jude and Cordelia.

“Haaaaa… haaa…”

When Red Wind caught up with the two, Baras fell with a thud, and Cordelia looked
straight ahead. She could see a wall that was around 10 meters tall.

“We are here!”

It was the border.

Now all they had to do was to cross that wall.

But how.

There was no time to think. Because Jude had already moved. With Red Wind in one
arm and holding the waist of Cordelia in his other arm, he used the Twenty-Four
Gale Steps.

“I said I’d carry you, right?”

“Hmph.”

Cordelia snorted, and Red Wind blushed in embarrassment. But neither Jude nor
Cordelia saw Red Wind. Jude kicked the ground again. Cordelia hugged Jude’s neck,
and a whirlwind paved the way. The gale reached the top of the 10-meter wall in one
fell swoop, and at the end, he made an extraordinarily high leap.

They were in the air.

Jude and Cordelia saw it.

A land of the barbarians that widely spread out beyond the wall. And the
overwhelming splendor of nature.
“Let’s go.”

Jude spoke again as he kicked the wall.

They crossed the border to smash the northern barbarians’ invasion scenario.
In the original version of Legend of Heroes 2, or specifically, its first released version,
there were a total of 11 playable characters.

“Four in the Salen Kingdom, five in the Argon Empire, and two in the barbarian
lands.”

As the two major powers in the continent, there were many characters from the
Salen Kingdom and the Argon Empire. And in the case of the Salen Kingdom, it was
quite distinct that the hometown of the playable characters were concentrated in the
north.

“Except for Kajsa, the other three – Jude, Cordelia, and Lucas, were all from the 12
northern families.”

So, why was it like that?

Kajsa is from the south, which meant that there was no one in the center at all.
Wouldn’t it have been better to distribute them evenly in the north, the center, and
the south?

“And when the main story was released, everyone understood it.”

It was because of ‘The Northern Barbarians’ Great Invasion’ event that had a great
impact on the Salen Kingdom as well as the entire Legend of Heroes 2.

Because of the big event in the north, it was naturally reasonable for there to be
many people from the north.

Added to this were the playable characters from the land of the barbarians, Red
Wind and Kirara.

Both of them were naturally barbarians, so they had no choice but to be connected
with ‘The Northern Barbarians’ Great Invasion’ event.
“In the end, five out of the eleven playable characters, or about half, had a direct
connection with the Great Invasion event.”

The remaining six people were indirectly affected a lot too. It was a great event that
would shake up the Salen Kingdom, one of the two major powers.

“So if we can completely destroy this event, we can get closer to the ending that we
want.”

A world with a truly happy ending where there was no Great Summons and no
massive war occurring between the angels and demons, did not originally exist.

So they must take good care of that person without fail.

The most important key person who could change the Great Invasion itself into
nothing.

“Red Gale.”

Red Wind’s father.

The chief of the Great Storm tribe.

They had to save him.

***

“Ya-ha!”

A few minutes after they’ve crossed the border.

After he ran like a gale and hid themselves in a crevice of a rocky mountain, Jude
raised both his arms high and shouted.

What should he call this feeling?

A sense of freedom?

A genuine feeling of being alive?

“I think you’re a little crazy.”

Having sat down on the ground, Cordelia frowned and spoke, and Jude guffawed like
Landius and said as he looked back at Cordelia.

“On another note, I kept my promise, right?”

“Promise?”

“I told you I would cross over the wall.”

Wall.

The great wall built at the border was also a wall when viewed from a broad
perspective.

Though it was excessively high and broad for a wall.

“Let me see, I hugged or carried you, I crossed over the wall, I also stood in the front
line… I’d like to nurse or care for you, but I can’t let you get sick, right?”

“Yes, you can’t.”

Jude seriously spoke as he counted with his fingers and Cordelia threw a snowball.
She laughed a few times and then cocked her head to one side. And just like that, she
looked up at Jude and said.

“You’re like a beast.”

He acted recklessly while panting.

It wasn’t just her impression of Jude being nimble so far, but he was really like a
beast when in battle. He was like a big cat or savage beast running wild in
excitement.

At Cordelia’s words, Jude nodded his head and then said with a serious face.

“Madam, tonight, your servant…”

“Stop saying that.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Jude obediently gave up joking and squatted in front of Cordelia as he said.

“But I’m really overflowing with energy. It feels like my energy is constantly
surging?”

“Have you properly absorbed the Sunflower?”

“I think so. As Kamael said, it feels like my Cheonmujiche finally opened its eyes.”

If he thought about it, this kind of growth seemed to be fitting because he ate a
flower that bloomed once every 20 years and was also a flower full of Yang energy
that bloomed in an area full of Yin energy.

And Cheonmujiche.

It was difficult for people who were geniuses from birth to realize their own genius
because all the talented things they did felt so natural to them, but it wasn’t for Jude.

He had memories of a previous life, so it was also possible that it was self-
objectification, but as Kamael pointed out, his previous Cheonmujiche was no
different to a fake when compared to his current Cheonmujiche.

“It may sound like nonsense, but I can feel it. Jude is a real genius.”

“It really is nonsense.”

However, there was a bright smile on Cordelia’s face.

Be it a cheat, a genius, or a beast, he was her Jude.

“Is it possible that the awakening of Jude, which was scheduled for the last expansion
pack of the third episode, was the awakening of the Cheonmujiche?”

“Perhaps. In the original story, Jude never ate the Sunflower and never met Kamael
too.”

But the current Jude was different.

He ate the Sunflower, met Landius, and learned the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors. On
top of that, he met Kamael and even resolved the distortion.

‘There’s also the Yin-Yang Body.’

What would happen if he could use both the Yin and Yang energy at the same time?
What new heights would he reach?

‘Kamael’s extreme Yin energy and Landius’ extreme Yang energy.’

Since he had already built a relationship with the two, he had laid down the
groundwork for resolving his flags.

“Huhuhu… huhuhuhu…”

“You sound like a pervert.”

Despite Cordelia’s comment, Jude did not stop laughing. He saw the road to
becoming the strongest which didn’t exist before, so how could he, a rotten water,
not be happy?

“Anyway, this still isn’t your complete awakening, right?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m so excited.”

It meant that he would awaken to an even greater genius in the future.

“Cheonmujiche is a cheat.”

“Huhuhu, and when you use the Ancestral Regression technique, you’ll become a
cheat character. And so is your Witch Transformation.”

Wasn’t it an excellent balance?

Cordelia was not born with a special talent like Jude or Lucas.

She didn’t have a unique physical constitution like Kajsa.

However, Cordelia had Witch Transformation and Ancestral Regression.

‘Although Lucas is also able to use Ancestral Regression, it is different from Cordelia.’

Because Cordelia’s Witch Transformation ability originated from the power of

demons.

If Jude had a Yin-Yang Body that could handle both Yin and Yang energy, Cordelia was
able to transform into an existence capable of handling the power of angels and
demons at the same time.

“I can’t wait to see the Fallen Angel mode. You’ll be like a real powerful monster.”

“Why do you want to see it when it’s mine?”

“Because Madam is my monster?”

At Jude’s assertion, Cordelia snorted, but soon smiled and laughed.

Because Cordelia herself was looking forward to her Ancestral Regression.

“I can’t wait to do it.”

“Let’s work hard in collecting the ingredients and shorten the time it would take us
compared to the original story.”

“Yes, Daddy. I only trust in Daddy.”

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other and laughed ‘hahahoho’ in harmony, before
finally realizing that there was one more person with them.

“Huuuk… ugh… blaargh”

At a corner some distance away.

Red Wind, who had been gasping and lying on her stomach ever since Jude released
her, eventually couldn’t stand it and threw up.

It wasn’t because she found Jude and Cordelia’s “displays of affection” nauseating, but
it was a side effect from the intake of the forbidden elixir/drug.

“Red Wind! Are you all right?”

“Haa… ugh… it hurts. Stomach hurts. Painful.”

Red Wind said with a crying face after having thrown up everything in her stomach.
She truly looked pitiful with her tears and runny nose.

“Sorry, sorry. We’ve arrived here now, so it’s okay. Let’s rest here and then go.”

Cordelia said as she hugged Red Wind, while Jude quickly cleaned up Red Wind’s
vomit before looking around to find a better place to rest.

And immediately after.

Red Wind in Cordelia’s arms suddenly burst into tears. The tears she shed was
different from her tears of exhaustion from before.

“Red Wind?”

“Different. So different.”

“Huh?”

“Two people. Different. So strong. Much more than me.”

Red Wind was someone who was confident in her strength.

She believed that there were few people, at least within her age, who would be
stronger than herself.

But she was wrong.

Jude and Cordelia were in a different level than Red Wind herself. Although they
were older by one year, it didn’t feel like there was a one-year difference between
them.

She was a frog in the well.

Saying that she’ll cure her father, she went to the south alone with just that kind of
ability, so it was natural that she got caught and became a slave.

If the Great Storm hadn’t seriously pitied her, would it have chosen Jude and
Cordelia, who were both foreigners?

Of course, aside from her being a member of the tribe and the chieftain’s daughter.

“Huuuu… huu…”

Her sadness, self-reproach, and disappointment in herself suddenly flooded and

made her cry uncontrollably.

Red Wind started bawling, and Cordelia, with an awkward face, turned to Jude.

‘Do something!’

It was an unreasonable demand, but like most men who were asked to take
measures, Jude was troubled.

Though his troubles were slightly off the point from most men’s troubles.

‘First of all, it can’t be helped.’

Red Wind was crying because, frankly speaking, she was weak.

But there was no way to resolve this.

Strictly speaking, Red Wind had not even started her own scenario yet.

In a word, she was a beginner.

She was in a pure state and had not gone through any events or power-ups yet.

However, they couldn’t just take her while they leveled up, or the so-called ‘carry.’

‘Because it’s only me and Cordelia.’

It was a fact he learned as a result of experimenting when he was with Lucas several
times.

First of all, only Jude and Cordelia could see each other’s level-up effect.

Even if they hunted together, it was also only Jude and Cordelia who gained
experience points as a party.

‘It seems like in this world, you can gain experience by defeating a strong enemy,
but… I and Cordelia are the only ones who could form a party.’

Since the menu itself does not exist in this world, it was impossible to use something
like a ‘party request’ to properly share experience points except for Jude himself and
Cordelia, who were considered as a party from the beginning.

‘It’s a little questionable why only the two of us were a party from the very
beginning.’

There seemed to be some cause.

Maybe it was because they shared memories of their previous lives, or perhaps they
were connected with something like the red thread of fate.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Jude unwittingly cleared his throat as he saw Cordelia, and Cordelia said again with
her eyes.

‘Do something somehow!’

“Well.”

Jude began to be troubled again.

What should he do?

As the most obvious solution of a fast level-up was not possible, he eventually had no
choice but to choose the next best solution.

“Red Wind, it’s all right. You’ll soon become stronger quickly too.”

At Jude’s words, Red Wind raised her head in the midst of crying.

She was in the middle of crying because she was sad at herself for being weak, so it
was natural for her to react to Jude’s words that she’ll become stronger.
Jude squatted in front of Red Wind and then pat her head as he spoke.

“Great Storm said this. Red Wind was born with the qualities of a great warrior. She
has the talent to become the most powerful spirit warrior in the Great Storm tribe.”

(T/N: I used the word ‘spirit,’ but it can also mean ‘elemental.’)

“…really? Did Great Storm said that?”

Red Wind sniffled and asked, and Jude nodded his head.

“Really, I’m not the only one who heard it. Cordelia, you heard it too, right?”

“Eh? Yes! I heard it too. Great Storm certainly said that.”

Once Red Wind went through the original route, she would become a powerful spirit
warrior.

Moreover, the Great Storm tribe was supposed to perish during the great invasion of
the northern barbarians, so Red Wind had no choice but to be the best warrior of the
tribe whether she liked it or not.

“Great Storm…”

Red Wind’s crying gradually stopped. She also slightly smiled.

“Great Storm is looking forward to Red Wind’s growth.”

“Yes, yes, Great Storm is looking forward to it. They really care about Red Wind.”

The smile on Red Wind’s face gradually became bigger as Jude and Cordelia talked
back and forth.

Red Wind had become pessimistic of the future due to suffering from a lot of
hardships, but it was still before the original story began. Moreover, since she had
escaped from the slave auction even before suffering from hardships, her purity had
remained intact.

“Okay, I’ll work hard. Become stronger. I live up to Great Storm’s expectations.”
“Yes, we’ll look forward to it too.”

When Cordelia hugged her tightly, Red Wind hesitated for a moment, but soon after,
she hugged Cordelia back.

‘It’s nice and warm, heartwarming… ’

It was when Jude looked satisfied.

‘Hey, are you sure this is okay?’

Cordelia asked with her eyes, and likewise, Jude asked with his eyes.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘No, can we just pretend like this?’

‘It will work.’

There was no way Great Storm would be able to say anything about this.

Moreover, Great Storm, or rather, the existence of the barbarian gods themselves
were unclear.

In the game, only their names were mentioned as the subject of the barbarians’ faith,
but not a single barbarian god actually appeared.

‘And we already spoke of it.’

Since they first met Red Wind, Jude and Cordelia had worked hard and eagerly used
Great Storm’s name to their advantage.

‘Well, that’s true.’

Convinced, Cordelia focused on Red Wind again, and Jude rose from his seat and
then looked southwards.

‘Kamael must have taken care of it and escaped.’

Because he wasn’t one of the Four Great Swordsmen for no reason.

And frankly, Jude thought that Kamael was the strongest among the Four Great
Swordsmen.

Perhaps his clone alone might have defeated Saluzia.

‘We can do well.’

Although the northern barbarians’ great invasion event was an important event
throughout the Legend of Heroes series, the circumstances were not fully revealed.

What was fully revealed in the game was the great invasion, and not the war of the
Angry Bull tribe to unify the barbarians before the great invasion.

Therefore, their information was limited.

Not much was known about the land of the barbarians.

‘But we can do it.’

Or rather, we must pull it off.

Jude steeled himself as he gazed to the north.

***

“I think I know where we are. After two more days, it’s the land of my tribe.”

Right after sunset.

Red Wind spoke in a small voice inside the igloo created with Cordelia’s magic and
Jude’s design and skill.

They had thrown away all their luggage while they were running away, so they didn’t
have their sleeping bags, but in the first place, Red Wind was a local who inherited
the blood of the winter elves, while Jude and Cordelia had the Winter Protection.

In addition, they had stones heated by magic to warm themselves, so it was not an
exaggeration to say that there was no risk of them freezing to death.

“Yes, yes, you had a difficult time today, so let’s go to bed early.”
“I understand. Good night, Cordelia. Jude too.”

Red Wind spoke in a small voice again, as she lied down next to Cordelia and closed
her eyes.

“Good night.”

“I feel like a baby.”

As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell asleep, and Cordelia kissed the forehead of
Red Wind before looking towards Jude and saying.

“Let’s go to sleep too. We don’t exactly need to do a night watch, right?”

“Because there’s an <Alarm> magic circle.”

Even in Frost Anvil, they were able to escape the hell of a double-shift night watch
thanks to the <Alarm> magic circle.

After almost blocking the entrance, Jude lied down and spoke after a long time.

“Good night, dream of me.”

“Yes, you dream of me too.”

“I’ll have a risque dream.”

“Bullsh*t.”

Cordelia smiled as she raised her middle finger, before she kissed Red Wind’s
forehead once again and then closed her eyes.

And a few seconds, a few minutes.

Jude also fell into a deep sleep.

***

The surroundings were all white.

A white night.

A white snowfield.

While he was walking aimlessly, Jude realized it at some point.

“It’s a dream.”

Now that I realize it, I guess it’s a lucid dream.

Jude looked around again.

He was afraid that it was not a dream because everything was a mess before he came
to his senses.

The sun and the moon were hanging together in the sky, and above the snowfield,
countless fish were swimming in the air as if they were in some kind of sea.

Then Cordelia appeared.

“Uh.”

The Cordelia that he usually knew was thrown into confusion as she stood among
the swimming fish, but suddenly, she widely opened her eyes.

“Ah! It’s Jude!”

The Cordelia in his dream looked his way and came running with a very happy face.

And Jude seriously contemplated.

“What do I do… now that it’s like this, should I dream a really erotic dream?”

“Hey! I can hear everything?!”

Cordelia’s low kick hit him, and Jude thought.

“It’s surely Cordelia. She’s violent even in my dreams.”

“You haven’t been hit enough.”

Again, Cordelia hit Jude on the back, and Jude realized.

“It hurts?”

“Of course it hurts if I hit you! Be hurt more! Be hurt more!”

It really hurt. Because of that, Jude understood it.

“It’s not a dream.”

At least it wasn’t an ordinary dream. The Cordelia in front of him was not a fake
created by his own dreams.

“How did this happen?”

Why are our dreams connected with each other?

Were our minds connected?

At Jude’s question, Cordelia stopped hitting him and said seriously.

“I don’t know either. I just slept well, and at some point, I opened my eyes and I was
here. I came running because I saw you.”

Jude first looked at himself before he alternately looked at Cordelia.

Now that he saw it, their clothes were different from usual. Each of them were
wearing the stylish clothes they wore when they were with their families.

“Dream.”

This was not reality.

It was some space in their minds.

The minds of Jude and Cordelia were connected.

Why?

How come?
And who?

It was right at that moment. Cordelia suddenly raised her head. Over some distance
away, at the sky.

The wind blew.

It was a small and weak wind.

But it soon grew stronger and became a storm.

A boy appeared.

A white-haired boy with wind all around his body.

With his impressively golden eyes shining like stars, the boy looked down at Jude
and Cordelia.

His eyes quietly narrowed, and his smile was like that of a mischievous boy before he
spoke.

“You continuously used my name as an excuse quite well.”

A child’s voice.

However, his strong presence shook the entire surrounding area.

Like the imposing majesty of a god.

“Really?”

Jude said, and Cordelia nodded her head. Her senses were wildly shouting.

Barbarian god.

Due to the Great Storm tribe being still alive, it was a being who had not yet lost its
power because the power of Belial, the overlord of corruption, had yet to widely
spread over the barbarian lands.

“Nice to meet you, children from the south. I am Great Storm.”

The barbarian god beyond the northern border.

He settled down on the ground.

And stepped towards Jude and Cordelia.

Terms used in this chapter:

Flag/Event flag – A condition in game programming that causes a variable to

change. Event flags are set off when certain events take place, like boss battles,
cutscenes, leveling up, or anything that’s important to the plot or to the character’s
stats. Flags can also trigger anything, from changing a character’s status to activating
sub-quests or side-plots to adjusting what sort of random encounters show up.

Frog in the well – a Chinese idiom that refers to a narrow-minded person who
doesn’t see the larger world around them. An English equivalent would be
‘small/little fish in a big pond.’

Carry – used to refer to a high-level player who tanks for and kills strong enemies
for a lower level player to level up. They are thus carrying the low-level player until
they get stronger, mooching off their kills to get XP and loot.

Oh yeah, if you see an italicized ‘my’ or ‘her,’ it’s the ‘uri-jip’ word again, which meant
‘my house,’ ‘my home,’ or ‘our home.’ Someone in the comments said that it could
also mean ‘my family.’ It has a possessive meaning, implying that
someone/something is part of one’s family/home.
God.

A transcendental being.

Unlike in their past lives where there were many arguments of whether it exists or
not, gods existed in Pleiades.

But strictly speaking, the gods of Pleiades were far from the omnipotent god that
they knew in their past lives.

They were clearly powerful beings with well-defined limits.

They were called immortals, but it was possible for them to disappear.

‘If I had to be completely honest, you could say that they possessed stupendously
strong supernatural powers.’

But still, these gods were gods.

They were the targets of faith and were great existences that human beings dare not
to approach.

‘There are three main kinds of gods in Pleiades.’

First was the heavenly creator called Lu, the god who created the world.

However, he or she was close to a conceptual existence, whose existence was even
questioned.

It was the four archangels who led the heavenly realm, and not the creator god Lu.

‘The angels were called gods.’

They were originally angels and not gods, but due to human ignorance, they became
beings worshipped as gods.

Among them was Solari, the sun god, who was their representative figure.

Originally, the heavenly archangels only saw humans as livestock that needed
rearing, but Solari, the seventh archangel, was different.

She regarded humans as young children or younger brothers and wanted to guide
and look after them.

‘Solari wasn’t alone. There were many angels who joined her will, and they
descended to the human world and were worshipped as gods by humans.’

But it was all a story of the past.

Because of the long-standing war with the demons, these gods on earth ceased to
exist.

‘The last one were the outside gods.’

They were transcendental beings who existed in the third world, which was neither
heaven nor hell.

However, their influence in this world was insignificant.

It was not an exaggeration to say that the degree of their influence was at a level
where people only knew that outside gods existed.

‘And the wild gods (barbarian gods).’

They were beings that do not belong to any of the three kinds listed so far.

‘At present, neither the Salen Kingdom nor the Argon Empire recognize the existence
of wild gods.’

For political reasons, both countries somehow recognized wild gods as fictional
existences created by the primitive folk religions of the barbarians.

‘Even those who acknowledged their existence only thought of them as spirits who
possessed strong powers.’

And Jude also thought similarly.

The reason was simple.

‘Because they do not appear in the original story.’

These wild gods were occasionally mentioned in manuals, settings books, item
descriptions, and so on, but they never made a direct appearance.

‘There was a theory that they all died because of Belial, the overlord of corruption… ’

In any case, that was all a story after the great invasion of the northern barbarians.

There was a possibility that at the present moment, which was a point in the past
before the event occurred, they were still alive.

‘No, they are alive.’

In front of him right now, there was a being who proclaimed himself as a wild god.

Great Storm.

The wild god of the wind who was worshipped by the Great Storm tribe.

“You seem to be thinking of something rude?”

Unlike when he first appeared, Great Storm’s manner of speaking was slightly less
serious, perhaps because he looked like a boy.

Jude said hurriedly in denial.

“No, it’s not. I was just so surprised that I couldn’t think of anything else.”

In fact, it wasn’t completely a lie.

Because he was really that surprised.

He never thought that Great Storm would really appear. And in this way too.
“Hmph, you’re a smooth talker.”

The boy somehow reacted like Cordelia before he made a rock rise from the ground
by pointing several of his fingers and then sat down on it as he said.

“Well then, I am Great Storm. You have diligently and continuously used my name as
an excuse.”

He talked mischievously with a raised chin, as he flatly played innocent with his eyes
and facial expression resembling that of a rascal.

‘First of all, I don’t think he’s really upset.’

If he was really angry, he would have tried to punish them first for using the name of
a god in a deceiving manner.

“Uh… ahem, ahem, it’s an honor to meet you, Great Storm. My name is Cordelia
Chase. This is my fiance, Jude Bayer.”

As Jude was in the midst of hesitation and unsure of what to do, Cordelia stepped
forward and spoke.

Great Storm smiled in satisfaction at her polite manner of showing respect.

“But the girl knows what manners is, I like it. If you meet a god, you shouldn’t blankly
look at them but reveal your names first. Girl.”

At the end of his words, he clicked his tongue. Cordelia seemed to have caught his
fancy, but not Jude.

Instead of being shaken, Jude showed his manners as he politely said.

“O Great Storm, I ask of you to listen to our story.”

“Tell me.”

His response was within Jude’s expectations.

Great Storm did not reveal himself to punish them.

‘If so.’

Jude took a deep breath and steeled himself.

From now on, he had to deceive, no, tell a white lie to a wild god, and not just a fairy
queen or a witch.

“Beyond the border in th-”

“Wild lands. That’s what we call it. Not the land of barbarians.”

Great Storm made a comment one step ahead of him, and Jude resumed after
expressing his thanks.

“I’ve heard of stories that danger was approaching the wild lands.”

“From whom?”

“From the fairy queens and the soul of a witch in the south.”

To begin with, there was no connection between the fairy queens and the wild gods
as far as Jude knew.

However, instead of specifically pointing out who they were in case Great Storm
didn’t knew of them, he showed the Fairy Steps and Fairy’s Bonds he received from
the fairy queens.

Although his outfit had changed because he was in a dream, the two items were still
in his arm.

“Hmm… setting aside the fairy queens, but a witch’s soul?”

“Yes, it is the soul of a great witch who fought against Asmodeus, the overlord of lust,
for many years.”

“What did they say?”

“They told us about the threat of demons that were approaching the wild lands. In
particular, the witch’s soul told us about an organization called the Devil’s Eye who
seemed to have done something harmful to Red Gale, the chieftain of the Great Storm
tribe.”

Great Storm furrowed his brows at Jude’s explanation.

And Jude was certain of it then.

‘It’s coming through.’

As expected, Great Storm didn’t know who the witch’s soul was or what she did.

But there was a mixture of truth in Jude’s words.

Devil’s Eye.

They were doing something harmful to the wild lands.

Red Gale was dying from an illness of an unknown cause.

“So that’s what the witch’s soul said.”

“Yes, and my fiancee here, Cordelia, is the witch’s successor, who inherited some
power from the witch’s soul. Because of this, the witch asked me and Cordelia to go
to the wild lands to stop the plot of the demon followers.”

At Jude’s words, Great Storm turned to Cordelia, who blinked her eyes and quickly
nodded.

“Yes, that is correct.”

After she answered a little stupidly, Cordelia’s face reddened, but Great Storm felt
that appearance to be rather trustworthy, so he said while scratching his chin.

“Then, to sum it up, is it something like this? The fairy queens and the witch’s soul
warned of the dangers in the wild lands. In particular, the witch’s soul even told you
about my tribe and told you to go and help.”

“Yes, that is correct. On our way to the wild lands, we heard of a story about someone
with the blood of the winter elves… a girl from the Great Storm tribe, who was
caught and held in the slave auction house, so we rescued her. She is Red Wind.”
“Hmmm…”

Great Storm scratched his chin again and Jude inwardly smiled.

Because there were no holes in his story.

On their way to meet the Great Storm tribe, they saved a girl from the Great Storm
tribe.

Can he even find any faults in their story?

Jude waited for a while before he hit the nail on the coffin.

“We had willfully used Great Storm’s name to win over Red Wind, who had become
distrustful after being caught and turned into a slave. I kindly hope you will forgive
us.”

Jude deeply bowed from his waist, and Cordelia, as if by telepathy, bowed her head at
almost the same timing.

At the courteous apology of the two, Great Storm made a groaning sound before
nodding his head.

“All right, well, because I’m a little benevolent, I will forgive you two for now.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Thank you, Great Storm.”

Jude and Cordelia promptly expressed their gratitude to Great Storm who decided to
actually forgive them.

And Jude took it even one step further.

“O Great Storm, this humble one dares to ask of you to listen to a little more of my
words.”

“What is it?”

“I would like to repay your kindness for forgiving our great sins. I hope that you will
allow me and Cordelia to fight for the Great Storm tribe. I would like to become a
warrior of Great Storm.”

It sounded like he was saying that he wanted to volunteer, but the truth was
completely different.

‘Our self-proclamation becomes official.’

At the moment Great Storm allowed it, Jude and Cordelia would become real
warriors of the wild god Great Storm.

‘We’ll be actively moving in the wild lands anyway.’

In order to reach a happy ending, the two needed to stop the Devil’s Eye and the
Angry Bull tribe.

Then, wouldn’t an official warrior be better than a self-proclaimed warrior?

If they got a proper certification from Great Storm, their activities in the wild lands
would be much easier.

‘And if we become official ones, he’ll give us something.’

There was no way that a being named god would just appoint them as warriors and
solely profit from it.

“Ummm.”

Great Storm narrowed his eyes at Jude’s request and made a grunting sound.

He didn’t have a good feeling about it, as he was sure that Jude was up to something,
but he couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

‘It looks bad if I just send them back.’

Because it was true that the demon followers were starting something in the wild
lands.

In fact, it was the reason why Great Storm appeared to Jude and Cordelia.
‘Ummm, I feel like they’ll squeeze me dry.’

But he couldn’t do much about it.

Great Storm nodded his head after some careful consideration.

“Okay, I will grant your request. From today onwards, you two are my warriors.”

It was at that moment that Great Storm declared it. An intense light suddenly rose
from Jude and Cordelia’s right upper arms.

It was for a moment, but a deep pain followed it.

As they endured the pain that was like a hot iron touching their skin, Jude and
Cordelia quickly rolled up their clothes to confirm it and saw a tattoo on their right
arms.

The pattern of a thunderbird surrounded by the wind.

It was the emblem symbolizing the wild god, Great Storm.

And the moment they confirmed the emblem’s existence, Jude and Cordelia thought
like rotten water.

‘Aren’t there any special effects?’

‘No options?’

Because they didn’t feel any immediate changes.

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other and checked each other’s emblem afterwards.
And they soon realized it again.

‘Different?’

‘It’s different?’

Jude’s was silver, while Cordelia’s was golden.

The two simultaneously looked back at Great Storm, and he said with a smile.
“This is my emblem. Show it to my tribesmen and they will recognize you as my
warriors.”

‘No, this one’s more important.’

‘What’s the difference between silver and gold? The golden one’s better, right?’

Jude and Cordelia enthusiastically spoke with their eyes, and they continued talking
as if ignoring Great Storm.

“Now that you two have become my warriors, there is something I would like to
entrust to you.”

It was the real reason why Great Storm appeared in this place.

If this was a game, it was the moment a quest was about to begin.

However, Jude and Cordelia were more interested in the emblem they acquired right
now rather than the quest that was about to start.

It was all the more so since it was split into silver and gold.

‘Shall we just ask?’

‘Are you going to cut him off from what he’s going to say?’

It was the moment they exchanged glances.

Great Storm finally figured out why the two were so fretful and said with a guffaw
unlike that of a boy’s.

“What, are you curious about the emblem’s power?”

““Yes.””

Great Storm laughed again when Jude and Cordelia immediately answered at the
same time.

“The wind will be on your side from now on, as it is an emblem enchanted with the
wind that I control.”
‘Is this something that increase wind attributes?’

‘Can we control the wind?’

While Jude and Cordelia were trying their best to interpret it, Great Storm continued
to speak.

“In the silver emblem, there is the protection of the wind barrier. When used, the
wind barrier will spread out and block projectile attacks. In the golden emblem,
there are the protection of the wind barrier and the blessing of the wind. If you use
the blessing of the wind, you will be able to freely control the surrounding wind for a
while.”

Even if he was a wild god, it doesn’t change that he was a god.

The protection of the wind barrier alone was useful, but the blessing of the wind was
a very great ability that had a lot of room for application.

“Wow! Thank you so much!”

Cordelia brightly smiled in delight as she re-examined the golden emblem on her
arm, and Great Storm smiled in satisfaction too at the pretty sight of such Cordelia.

But Jude was different.

‘How come?’

Cordelia’s was golden but Jude himself was silver.

Was there a numerical limitation?

In times like this, don’t they just give you the same thing?

Just like the Winter Fairy Queen that fairly gave the winter protection.

Jude’s questions were reasonable, and that was why Great Storm could also easily
guess Jude’s thoughts. He then said with a smile.

“It’s a simple reason.”

The reason why he gave a golden emblem to Cordelia and a silver emblem to Jude…

“I’m a man, so I like a pretty, kind, cute, and honest girl much better than a deep-
black cunning man.”

Jude blinked at his very honest answer, and Cordelia brightly smiled again.

***

“Well, it’s not just that, actually.”

As Jude had guessed, there was a limit to the number of golden and silver emblems,
so it was impossible to give both of them a golden emblem.

“Somehow, I have a good wavelength with that girl. It’s quite strange, if I have to say
it.”

‘Is it because they’re both storm?’

Great Storm and Yellow Storm.

Cordelia nodded repeatedly with a smile as if she had a similar thought.

“That’s right, Great Storm. I think I fit well with Great Storm.”

“Right? I think so too.”

It was a conversation between Cordelia and Great Storm, who had become more
friendly.

Jude tried hard to swallow down the sense of alienation that he felt, and then
proceeded to talk again.

“O Great Storm, would you tell us what you wanted to entrust us?”

“Ah, yes. I was talking about that.”

Great Storm clapped his hands and corrected his sitting position on the rock as he
began talking again.
“As you had said, the demon followers seem to be doing something. Strange
phenomenon are occurring in the various sacred grounds that exist in the wild
lands.”

“In the sacred grounds?”

“Yes, each of us wild gods have our own areas. That area is called the sacred grounds
(sanctuary).”

It could be said that the wild gods were similar to Korea’s local mountain gods.

They select a sacred ground within their area, and then build their strength in that
sanctuary.

Because of that, they could exert enough power to be called a god within their area,
but if they go outside their area, their strength will sharply decrease.

“There is a place in the nearby area that used to be a sanctuary. It’s a place where the
wild god, Violent Avalanche, used to live. Instead of looking after a tribe, he became
one with nature. Anyway, even after he disappeared, the power of the wild god
remained, and it continued to function as a sanctuary.”

It was thanks to the sanctuary, which was full of blessings from the wild gods, that
the barbarians could continue to live in the extremely cold areas of the wild lands.

“But I think something has gone wrong there. The energy of nature is twisted, and it
seems like even monsters have begun appearing.”

It was a story that they knew somehow.

Great Storm continued his words.

“As I said for the first time, it seems that it isn’t just one or two sanctuaries that have
a problem. In the midst of this, I couldn’t leave the sanctuary, so I sent some of the
tribesmen to investigate, but the results weren’t good.”

None of the warriors who went to the Violent Avalanche’s sanctuary came back.

Normally, he would have sent Red Gale, the best warrior in the tribe, but it was
impossible because he had been sick for several years.
“The distortion of the erroneous sanctuaries have begun to gradually affect my own
sanctuary. So, children of the south, my warriors. Please investigate the Violent
Avalanche’s sanctuary.”

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other.

In Legend of Heroes 2, the wild lands did not properly make an appearance.

Naturally, the quests related to the wild gods also did not exist.

Therefore, it was highly likely that what would happen onwards would be unknown
territory even for Jude and Cordelia, the rotten waters of Legend of Heroes.

There was a fear in the unknown.

It was a fear that they could not know on what would happen next.

But even so.

‘It sounds a little strange, but it feels like a new expansion pack was released.’

Cordelia said with her eyes, and Jude agreed. His heart was pounding a little with
excitement too.

And in fact, they had foreseen this.

Because the goal of Jude and Cordelia was to destroy the scenario in Legend of
Heroes 2.

‘Furthermore… it’s not like we do not have any information at all.’

Although the wild lands did not appear on the stage, the Devil’s Eye and the
corrupted barbarians clearly appeared in Legend of Heroes 2.

The information about them was in Jude’s head.

‘There’s got to be rewards too.’

A wild god was still a god.

Like how he gave them the emblems, he would give them appropriate rewards.

‘It’s simple.’

It was something that they needed to do anyway, so shouldn’t they do it

unconditionally if they could get some rewards?

‘Let’s do it.’

This time, Jude said that with his eyes, and Cordelia agreed.

The eyes of the two headed to Great Storm.

There were two playable characters from the land of the barbarians, but in fact, it
was extremely rare for the land of the barbarians to become the stage in the game.

The reason was simple. It was because the stage of both Red Wind and Kirara’s main
activities were not in the land of the barbarians.

‘Red Wind is in Salen, while Kirara is in Argon.’

Red Wind began her scenario after escaping from slavery in the northern part of the
Salen Kingdom. She had only been active in the Salen Kingdom up to the middle of
her scenario, before she fought against the corrupted barbarians to avenge her
father.

‘Kirara started in the far eastern section of the barbarian lands, and as soon as she
was finished with the tutorial, she went straight to the Argon Empire.’

She was not affected by the great invasion of the northern barbarians because she
had transferred to the Argon Empire and not the Salen Kingdom. Kirara had never
thought of going back as the reason why she left her hometown in the first place was
because she had run away.

Therefore, in Legend of Heroes 2, there were only two events where the land of the
barbarians appeared with great importance. One was the ‘Homecoming’ event,
where Red Wind mourned at the sight of her hometown that had already become
deserted ruins, and the other was ‘Lena’s Death’ event.

***

“Okay, for more details such as the location of the sanctuary and so on, the tribesmen
will deliver it.

When Jude and Cordelia said that they will take on the investigation of the sanctuary,
Great Storm spoke with a sigh as if he had been relieved.
Great Storm didn’t want to make it obvious, but he was actually under heavy stress.

It was quite difficult for Great Storm, a young wild god, to connect the minds of Jude
and Cordelia, who were not his tribesmen, and to also appear before the two.

“Then, let’s organize everything for now. When the investigation is over, then…”

“Please wait!”

Cordelia quickly stopped Great Storm who was trying to stand up from his seat.

Because there was still something left to talk about.

‘Right?’

‘That’s right.’

The two had obviously not discussed in advance on what they should do and talk
about if they met Great Storm.

However, Jude and Cordelia had already talked about how to proceed when they
arrive at the land of the barbarians.

There was one more important thing that they have yet to tell.

“O magnanimous Great Storm. We have some information we must tell you.”

“What is it?”

When Jude assumed a very serious expression, Great Storm was curious, so he sat
down again.

Instead of talking right away, Jude took a deep breath before he spoke in a calm tone.

“It concerns the illness that Red Gale contracted.”

“…Tell me.”

Great Storm’s gaze sharpened.

Because Great Storm was also well aware that the illness Red Gale had contracted
was unusual and was actually some kind of curse.

“The illness, or rather, the curse’s name is ‘Blue Spider Lily,’ and it’s a spell that
followers of Belial, the overlord of corruption, likes to use.”

T/N: Yes, ‘Blue Spider Lily’ was the translation of 푸른 피안화. How a fictional flower
from ‘Kimetsu no Yaiba’ ended up becoming the name of a curse or spell in this series is
beyond me. Shouldn’t the author have named it as ‘Blue Spider Lily’s Curse’ or
something? The author also called it a curse, but frankly, ‘poison’ would make more
sense. Anyway, I’ll call it the ‘Curse of the Blue Spider Lily’ from now on, so that it would
make more sense.

The Curse of the Blue Spider Lily was not a curse to kill the enemy.

It was a curse that made its target powerless in order to make them easier to
corrupt. The person who contracted the Curse of the Blue Spider Lily would become
weak in both body and mind, and eventually become unable to do anything.

The one who cursed him was Haraken, a witch doctor and also an executive of the
Devil’s Eye.

Seven Horns, the chieftain of the Angry Bull tribe, was the first person to be cursed
in the land of the barbarians.

As the strongest warrior in the Angry Bull tribe, he became very weak in just a
month as his condition was no different from a withered tree, and after half a year, it
became impossible for him to do anything without the prophet Haraken’s help.

And in the seventh month, he was sacrificed by Haraken, ascended as one of Belial’s
kin, and was reborn as a complete demon.

“The effect of the Curse of the Blue Spider Lily gets stronger the closer the target is to
the caster. Fortunately, Red Gale is quite far from the witch doctor, so the illness’
progress is relatively slow, but in the end, he will be completely helpless.”

“Is there no other way?”

Great Storm inquired with a fretful face.

As he cared for the tribe, tribal chief Red Gale was like a child to him.

“There is only one way to get rid of the curse. You must kill the caster who cast the
curse.”

In fact, there was a much simpler solution.

It was to purify Red Gale with a stronger power than Belial’s curse.

But that was impossible.

Among the wild gods, Great Storm belonged to the fairly strong group, but the
opponent was Belial, one of the five overlords that ruled hell.

Comparing the two was pointless.

“He clearly contracted it when he attended the meeting of the chieftains. It’s obvious
that one of the people who attended the meeting was the culprit!”

Great Storm burst into anger, and Jude nodded.

It was highly likely that Haraken attended the meeting of the chieftains and cast the
curse on Red Gale, who would become an obstacle to the unification war.

“O Great Storm, please calm down your anger. I have a way to improve Red Gale’s
condition.”

“Is that true?”

Hearing Jude’s words, Great Storm jumped from his seat and asked.

Jude nodded his head and took out the Sun’s Necklace hidden under his clothes.

“Anyone who contracted the Curse of the Blue Spider Lily will be eternally exposed to
hellish chills. Therefore, if we get rid of the chill using Yang energy, the progress of
the curse will slow down, and his condition would improve.”

T/N: Yin energy symbolizes coldness, or chills, while its opposite, Yang energy,
symbolizes hotness or warmth. So something with ‘Yang energy’ is needed to
counteract the curse’s chill effect.
In the first place, the reason why Red Wind came down to the south was to obtain the
Sunflower.

‘The Sunflower loses its effectiveness the moment it is plucked out of the place
where it bloomed, so it cannot be used to treat illnesses in the first place.’

Jude had the Sun’s Necklace.

If a person was sick, Solari’s item that continuously gave off Yang energy would be
able to stop the Curse of the Blue Spider Lily.

“Ooh… then we can give the necklace to Red Gale.”

“Yes, he can borrow it. I will lend it.”

He didn’t care if he lent it, but it was absolutely impossible for him to entirely give it
away.

Moreover, Jude wasn’t willing to give it to him for free.

‘Because the situation has changed.’

If it was before Great Storm appeared, Jude would have lent the necklace for free to
save Red Gale, but there was Great Storm now.

If so, wasn’t it proper to receive a rental fee?

“The Sun’s Necklace is a must-have item for me to cure my chronic disease. It’s like a
lifeline to me.”

When Jude emphasized the importance of the Sun’s Necklace, Great Storm knit his
brows.

“Chronic disease? Don’t you look healthy?”

Jude was clearly in good shape.

At Great Storm’s question, Jude shook his head and suddenly let out a cough before
speaking.
“No… cough. Even if I look like this, I’m quite weak. Isn’t it? Cordelia?”

Cordelia suddenly came to her senses when Jude called her, and she immediately
stepped forward and said.

“That’s right, my Jude is quite weak. Look at that pale skin. His blood vessels are
visible. Not so long ago, I carried him on my back.”

It was true that his skin was clear enough for his blood vessels to be visible and that
he was carried on her back.

“No, I think he looks healthy…”

“Look at his forearm here. He has a thin waist too. It’s completely a wasp waist, a
wasp waist. What should I do? My Jude is so pitiful…”

Perhaps thanks to having traveled together with Jude, Cordelia’s acting skills have
rapidly improved.

It was obvious that her crying was fake, but the beautiful girl’s tearful acting was
enough to shake the heart of the viewer.

“Ummm… but I am a god of the wind. There is no way for me to provide Yang
energy.”

“It’s all right. If that is so, anything related to the wind will be of help too.”

“That’s right. Although Jude is weak, it’s not to the point he’ll die right away if he
didn’t have the necklace.”

Jude and Cordelia spoke together, and eventually, Great Storm conceded to his
inevitable predicament of being scammed by the scammer couple despite being
aware of it.

“…All right, then I will award you the most powerful one among the divine items that
I have.”

“Thank you very much.”

“I’ll use it well. Great Storm is so cool. Handsome. The best.”

Cordelia was just saying whatever words that came to her mind, but to Great Storm,
it sounded nice.

Great Storm burst into laughter and summoned a blue-colored arrow in the air.

“It’s the Wind’s Wing Arrow.”

The whole arrow was pure white, as if they were looking at an ice crystal.

“It can be manipulated according to the user’s will.”

“Will?”

“Yes, the user can manipulate it to move in the air through their will.”

As if responding to Great Storm’s words, the Wind’s Wing Arrow began flying
through the air at a truly terrifying speed.

“Wow! Yondu!”

“Yondu?”

Great Storm asked again, but Cordelia just smiled and turned to Jude, who spoke
with a serious face.

“Because Jude uses it like- Ouch!”

“Dad joke Out!”

T/N: It’s a pun. ‘Yondu (욘두)’ and ‘Yudeo (유더)’ sound similar in Korean. ‘Yudeo’ is
how Jude’s name is pronounced in Korean. I’m not a 100% sure about this one though,
because Cordelia cut him off before he finished his ‘dad joke.’

As for Cordelia’s ‘Dad joke Out!’, it’s based on baseball’s ‘Out!’ that umpires shout when
a batter or baserunner is taken out of play. Umpires usually shout ‘Out!’, ‘Batter, Out!’
or something like that, so in this case, Cordelia replaced ‘batter’ with ‘dad joke’ to tell
Jude to stop using dad jokes or that his dad joke is ‘out.’

Cordelia smacked Jude in the back and thanked Great Storm again.
“Thank you very much. We will use it well.”

“Yes, it will be a weapon that suits you well. It’s good for wizards to at least have one
long-ranged weapon like that.”

“Yes, you’re right… eh, wait a minute. Are you giving it to me? Not to Jude?”

“Yes, I’m giving it to you?”

Great Storm spoke as if it was natural for Cordelia to receive it, and Jude said in
surprise.

“Wa-wait a second! The Sun’s Necklace is the cure for my illness-”

“So what? I want to give it to her. Are you going to take the stuff I gave to your
fiancee?”

“No, that’s not it…”

No matter how Jude tried, he couldn’t come up with anything else to say.

And it was true that the Wind’s Wing Arrow was also a weapon that suited Cordelia
more than Jude.

Eventually, Jude gave up and his shoulders slumped, and Great Storm brightly smiled
and said.

“When you arrive at the village, head to the altar. I will put it there.”

“…Okay.”

“Thank you so much!”

There was a difference in temperature between the responses of Jude and Cordelia,
and after Cordelia thanked him, Great Storm stood up from his seat.

It was time for him to return them.

But not yet.

There was still some things left that they could rip off from Great Storm.

“Wait! Please wait! There’s one last thing we have yet to say!”

“What is it again?”

“It’s really important.”

“That’s right, it’s really, really important.”

Cordelia didn’t know what it was about but stopped Great Storm anyway as she sent
a gaze to Jude asking about it, and Jude began talking to both Great Storm and
Cordelia.

***

“Haa!”

“Haa!”

Jude and Cordelia’s minds suddenly became clear and they opened their eyes at the
same time.

They were inside the white igloo.

Red Wind was still fast asleep, and the morning dawn shone through a small gap in
the entrance.

“Haa…”

“Huu…”

Jude and Cordelia first took a deep breath before they simultaneously rolled up their
sleeves to confirm the emblem.

“It’s real.”

“It wasn’t a dream either.”

They met Great Storm and became his warriors. They also ripped off a bunch of
items from him.

“Hehehe, gold is gold.”

As Cordelia stroked her emblem and spoke, Jude’s expression naturally turned sour,
and Cordelia’s smile grew even deeper.

“Sil-trash, Sil-ronze, Deep sea person.”

T/N: The above three terms are Korean slang words in League of Legends (LOL). LOL
has rankings, and the lowest is the iron tier. Above it are the Bronze, Silver, Gold,
Platinum, Diamond, etc. ‘Deep Sea’ refers to those near the bottom tiers, so if you
belong to the Iron tier, you are at the deepest of the sea. It’s arguable where the surface
of the deep sea is, since it could be Diamond, Platinum, or lower.

‘Deep sea person’ refers to a player stuck in the ‘deep sea.’

‘Sil-trash’ is a combination of the words ‘silver’ and ‘trash.’ ‘Trash’ is a derogatory

slang referring to people of low social status or class. And ‘silver’ refers to LOL’s
Silver tier. So if you’re Sil-trash, you’re someone who belongs to the low-ranking/low
class Silver tier.

‘Sil-ronze’ is a combination of ‘silver’ and ‘bronze.’ It refers to people who are

constantly going up and down the Bronze I and Silver IV tiers. Meaning they’re
always stuck in either of those two tiers.

So why is Cordelia using this? Because she got the ‘gold’ emblem and Jude only got
the ‘silver’ emblem. Gold tier is higher than Silver tier, and since Jude got silver, she
called him all these three terms to emphasize that he’s lower than her.

“Ahem, ahem.”

“Pretending not to hear me, huh?”

“You were saying silver or gold.”

“Yes, next time, Sil-ronze will come out for you.”

It was a squabble that he couldn’t win from the very beginning.

Jude gave up before he got to his feet and removed some of the snow blocking the
entrance. He looked outside and said to her afterwards.

“Let’s just eat enough for this morning and then depart. We’ll have to reach the
village by tomorrow night.”

They had thrown away all their luggage while running away, but fortunately, he had
carried some portable rations on him. It was enough for two days as long as the
three ate in moderation.

Cordelia nodded at Jude’s words, and said as she rummaged through her pockets.

“I want to go quickly. I’m really looking forward to what the store would be selling.”

It was the norm in RPGs to go to the store first when one stops by the village.

But what was good this time wasn’t just because they were expecting to upgrade
their equipment.

“It’s free, free.”

It was what Jude had demanded from Great Storm.

“We needed a free pass.”

“Free pass?”

“In other words, a black card.”

Wasn’t it reasonable for Great Storm’s warriors to receive equipment that they
would use to fight for Great Storm?

Shouldn’t they support the warriors on their journey to uphold Great Storm’s will by
handing over supplies and covering their expenses?

‘It’s because we actually don’t have any money.’

It was doubtful if the Salen Kingdom’s currency would be accepted in the wild lands,
and in the first place, Jude and Cordelia had lost almost all of their money when they
escaped across the border.
They weren’t exploiting them just for their own benefit, as it was a rather necessary
measure.

“Jude the Scammer, King of Rip-offs. A vicious man who even ripped a god off.”

“So you don’t like it?”

“I love it! A man who has the strong ability to maintain a livelihood is the best!

He was her scammer, and not someone else’s scammer.

“Daddy, daddy. You’re so cool. You’re a man of this generation who can turn a crisis
into an opportunity.”

“If it’s for my princess, I’d even cheat a god.”

The two exchanged warm whispers while laughing, and after they woke up Red
Wind, they hurriedly prepared for their departure.

And on the following night.

Not long after the sun had gone down.

The three finally arrived at the village of the Great Storm tribe.

Terms used in this chapter:

Wasp waist – Wasp waist is a women’s fashion silhouette, produced by a style of

corset and girdle, that has experienced various periods of popularity in the 19th and
20th centuries. Its primary feature is the abrupt transition from a natural-width rib
cage to an exceedingly small waist, with the hips curving out below. It takes its name
from its similarity to a wasp’s segmented body. – Source: Wikipedia
Yondu – a fictional character in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy comics. Through a
series of whistles, he is able to control an arrow made of a special sound-sensitive
metal. Depending on the tone and intensity of the whistle, the speed, strength, and
direction can be controlled. The arrow is capable of penetrating anything and seems
capable of moving at a speed of Mach 5 at least. – Source: Marvel Fandom

Black card – a highly regarded and exclusive credit card issued through invitation
only for bank customers with high incomes and A+ credit. The card entitles its
holders to VIP access, upgraded flights, event tickets, and special treatment at stores,
etc. In Korea, the black card is also known as the Hyundai Card.
“Big.”

“Huge.”

Jude and Cordelia said as they stood in front of the huge main gate, which was
around 5 meters high.

The village of the Great Storm tribe was bigger than they had expected. At this level,
they wondered if calling it a city was more appropriate than calling it a village.

“More than 10,000 people live here.”

Red Wind spoke with a smile on her face, as Jude and Cordelia’s reactions somehow
made her feel better, and Jude came to understand it.

‘The reason why the Devil’s Eye specifically paid attention to this tribe.’

It wasn’t just the fact that Red Gale himself was a great hero, but also because the
power of the Great Storm tribe itself couldn’t be ignored.

“Who are you!”

“Red Wind?!”

A cautious voice and a delighted voice was heard beyond the main gate at the same
time.

Red Wind smiled bitterly, and she stepped forward and raised her voice.

“It’s Red Wind! I’m back now! I want to see my father!”

She was bad at speaking the official language of the continent, but naturally, she was
fluent in the language of the barbarians.
“What were they talking about?”

“Uh… I think she’s saying that she’s back? It seems like she wanted to see Red Gale.”

Cordelia asked in a low voice, and Jude replied in a low voice too.

Although Jude was able to read and write in the language of the barbarians, he
wasn’t fluent enough to speak it naturally. After all, Jude had only memorized the text
in the game.

‘It’s mysterious if you think about it.’

It was a game created for amusement, but the several languages that appeared in the
game can actually be used like a real language.

Of course, there weren’t that many fictitious languages in the game like those created
in the Lord of the Rings or Star Trek, as the game’s fictitious languages could be
counted in one’s hand.

‘There are other really mysterious things apart from that.’

This world is identical to the world of the Legend of Heroes series.

He didn’t think that they had really entered the game.

It was more realistic to think that a world, which was identical to the game’s world,
existed somewhere, and that the two were reborn in that world.

‘If so, why were they identical?’

The reason why this world was so identical to the world of the Legend of the Heroes
series.

Did the production crew of Legend of Heroes imitate this world? Or was there
something else?

It was an interesting point to think about for his amusement, but he couldn’t
continue his thoughts. Because the main gate was opened.

“Red Wind!”
“Blue Wave!”

A blue-haired girl appeared after the main gate opened, and she widely opened her
arms as Red Wind quickly ran and hugged the girl.

“I know her.”

When Cordelia spoke quietly, Jude also nodded his head.

She was the girl who appeared in Red Wind’s ‘Homecoming’ event.

Her body was completely frozen and became an ice statue, and the scene of Red
Wind hugging her while wailing was still clear in their memories.

“Good. Really good.”

Because it did not turn out like the original.

Because they could meet each other again alive and laugh like that.

With her eyes red with tears, Cordelia turned to Jude and said.

“Let’s completely change it.”

The fate of the two people.

The future of the Great Storm tribe, who were destined to be destroyed.

“Yes, let’s completely change it.”

Jude and Cordelia had already changed many futures. As a result, more and more
situations that were completely unknown to them had increased, and the dangers
had accordingly increased too, but the two had no intentions of stopping their
actions.

“Let me introduce you to my friends. They saved me.”

When Red Wind pointed to Jude and Cordelia, Blue Wave had a wary look but soon
smiled widely and extended her hand.
“Red Wind’s friend is my friend. Welcome to our village. The chief told me you were
coming.”

Cordelia blinked her eyes while Jude carefully interpreted it in his mind, and Red
Wind said with a smile.

“Blue Wave welcomes you. My father said you were coming.”

Great Storm seemed to have informed about them in advance.

“Okay, then let’s go quickly. We have to stop the illness from progressing.”

Cordelia prodded on, and Red Wind nodded her head vigorously. She had left the
village in the first place to cure her father, Red Gale.

“Let’s go!”

Red Wind energetically shouted.

And 20 minutes later…

Red Wind burst into tears.

“I was wrong! I’m sorry! Uwaaah!”

It wasn’t tears of deep emotion that she shed in Red Gale’s hug.

It was a cry that was 20% shame and 80% pain.

Spank! Spank! Pak! Pak!

Red Gale was spanking her butt.

To describe it more accurately, she was lying with her stomach on Red Gale’s knee
and was getting spanked in the butt by his palm.

Regardless of whether others saw them or not, her pants were lowered as she was
spanked, and there was a clear and bright red palm mark on her buttocks.

“She left home because of him…”

Cordelia’s words were somehow persuasive as it seemed like Red Wind had left her
home for a completely different reason.

“…but is he really sick?”

Red Gale was spanking Red Wind.

First of all, he was huge.

He wasn’t as big as Landius, or rather, his palms were much larger than Red Wind’s
butt, and Red Wind who was on his knee looked like a doll, so he was an enormous
person that might be comparable to Landius.

And he wasn’t just huge.

Like Landius, he was a man with tightly packed muscles, and his upper arms were
thicker than Cordelia and Jude’s waist.

‘He’s also needlessly good-looking like Landius.’

Red Gale also inherited the blood of the winter elves who were known to be good-
looking. His clean face without a beard gave off a neutral charm that felt closer to
Kamael than Landius, though because of his huge build like Landius, it felt different.

As Cordelia thought to herself while nodding, Red Gale ended his punishment and
withdrew his hand.

“For the next month, you are grounded.”

At the somehow familiar words, Jude and Cordelia reflexively recoiled in surprise,
but fortunately, Red Gale’s focus was on Red Wind.

He spoke in a very grave tone, before he moved his chin as a gesture to Blue Wave
who was waiting in the corner. Blue Wave quickly ran like a squirrel and supported
Red Wind, because Red Wind couldn’t even properly walk due to her butt being
spanked.

“Huhu… I hate you, Dad!”

“Hmph! Take her away.”

Red Wind didn’t just run out of her village but even crossed the border.

Generally, it was normal for someone to not return in that situation. In fact, Red
Wind was caught and confined at the slave auction house.

Violence was not good, but Jude understood the feelings of Red Gale who scolded her
harshly.

“Haa…”

When Blue Wave and Red Wind left, Red Gale let out a sigh, and his face was mixed
with concern and relief.

Although he looked to be healthy at first, he was worried about what kind of

hardships she had suffered across the border.

But now wasn’t the time to continue worrying about his daughter.

Red Gale adjusted his seating position and then said.

“Thank you very much. For saving my daughter. Great Storm told me. Please
understand that I can’t get up because I’m unwell. Really, thank you.”

It was a rather crude pronunciation of the official language, but they had no
problems in understanding it.

Jude smiled and replied.

“It is thanks to Great Storm’s guidance.”

“I’m Great Storm’s warrior. You are Great Storm’s warriors too. You will help, Great
Storm said.”

While he was seated, Red Gale rolled up his sleeves to show the golden emblem on
his right upper arm.

“I have one too. But Jude’s emblem is silver.”

Cordelia was very happy as she showed her emblem, while Jude quickly proceeded
with the conversation instead of taking the trouble of showing his arm.
“As Great Storm said, you are under a curse now, and not an illness. This necklace
will stop the progression of the curse.”

When Jude handed over the Sun’s Necklace, Red Gale spoke with a very serious face.

“He said that it was necessary to cure your disease. I’m really thankful to you for
handing over this valuable item.”

“It’s okay. I’m just lending it to you until the curse has been resolved. Please return it
later.”

Jude clarified that it was a rented item, and not a gift, before he continued his words.

“I’m sorry for the rush, but we’d like to hurry up and get ready for our departure.”

“Ah! I understand. Great Storm said to help you. You may take anything from our
tribe. But there are conditions. I want to welcome you today. Prepare now and leave
the departure to tomorrow morning.”

They were strangers, but at the same time, they were his daughter’s benefactors, and
Great Storm, the guardian deity of their tribe, had made them his warriors.

Moreover, they even presented a solution to the illness he was helpless against, so
whether they were strangers or not, Jude and Cordelia were already friends of the
Great Storm tribe.

It wasn’t just because Red Gale was a mighty warrior that Haraken, an executive of
the Devil’s Eye, attempted to get rid of him.

His human charm, derived from his honest and upright personality, and his strong
bond with the wild gods, were enough to make him the central figure of the
barbarians.

“Okay. We will do so.”

“Good. White Frost will guide you.”

After speaking, Red Gale clapped his hands several times, and the young man who
was waiting outside the door, entered.
He was a handsome young man with white hair like his name.

“Guide them to the items storage. Give them whatever they want.”

“I will do so. Please come this way.”

As soon as he replied to Red Gale, White Frost spoke to Jude and Cordelia as he took
the lead, and Jude and Cordelia headed for the items storage in excitement.

And 30 minutes after…

“Wow, there are a lot of amazing items.”

“Because barbarian weapons were quite rare in the Legend of Heroes series.”

Most of the items they first saw were equipment.

“Let’s change our armor first.”

“Yeah, because the dwarf items are too conspicuous.”

The performance of the ancient dwarves’ work clothes from Frost Anvil were
excellent, but their color was a problem.

They will have to wander around like mad on the white snowfield in the future, so
the yellow color was too eye-catching.

“Most of them are made from bones or fur.”

“It’s like the equipment that appeared in Monster Hunter.”

Thanks to the Winter Protection, they were relatively free from the cold, so they
chose equipment that considered mobility rather than wearing heavy clothes.

A dozen minutes passed like that. Cordelia suddenly spoke in a lively voice.

“This! This is it! This is the best!”

“What is it?”
Jude unintentionally looked back and swallowed his breath in an instant.

“How is it, Daddy? Isn’t it cute? It’s so cute that you can’t even breathe, right?”

Cordelia coquettishly said, and Jude neither affirmed nor denied it.

Because she was really cute.

Cordelia had white rabbit ears attached on her head.

To be exact, it was a headband with rabbit ears attached to it, and it was a cute
accessory commonly seen in games like JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Game).

“The barbarians use animal-shaped equipment to draw out shamanistic power, so

this must be real. Equipping the rabbit set increases agility and jumping power. It’s a
good choice.”

“Don’t change the subject. Here’s yours too.”

Cordelia playfully laughed and held out one more rabbit ears headband to him.

“Me too?”

“Yes, you too.”

As Jude hesitated, Cordelia said while clicking her tongue.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Because Jude is a handsome boy. It will suit you.”

“I was handsome in my previous life too, okay?”

“I don’t think so.”

Cordelia somewhat swept his hair back and put the rabbit ears headband over the
hesitating Jude’s head.

“Wow, it suits you. It perfectly suits you. My Jude is so pretty.”

“It’s not convincing if you say that with a face that looks like you’ll die from laughing,
okay?”
“But… pfft… its power is… kuku… good, right?”

She was right. Though it was a little embarrassing.

“It’s okay, Daddy. I’ll wear it too. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about if we wear
it together.”

“I don’t think so.”

Jude sourly replied and looked for other items, but unfortunately, he couldn’t find
any equipment that was better than the rabbit set.

“Let’s stop looking for armor and begin checking out the weapons.”

“Is there anything better than the Eastern Warrior’s Sword? Barbarians don’t use
swords very often.”

Rather than swords, the barbarians preferred large weapons such as axes and
spears.

According to their settings, Red Wind specializes in the spear, while Red Gale uses a
giant halberd.

“It’s free though.”

“Yes, that is why we have to find something.”

Most of the weapons were large, so they couldn’t find anything that could be used as
a main weapon. Instead, Jude and Cordelia took several useful daggers and hatchets.

“Because I have Cheonmujiche.”

“Yes, yes, Uncle Cheonmujiche is good at anything he does with his body. Lastly, you
wear this equipment.”

Cordelia held out a white, round, and furry item.

“What is that?”

“Rabbit tail.”
It was the finishing touch to the rabbit set.

Jude’s face darkened, while Cordelia’s face brightened in contrast to him.

***

Afterwards, their schedule went smoothly.

Jude and Cordelia went to the altar of Great Storm and took the Wind’s Wing Arrow.
They joined in the simple banquet held by Red Gale, and by the next morning, they
left the village of the Great Storm tribe.

“It would be good if you learned Flame Spirit summoning. Great Storm also said that
you have an aptitude for it. Your spear skills are good but try practicing archery too.
You’ll have good results.”

Numerous rankers of Legend of Heroes created Red Wind’s strongest tech tree as a
result of various experiments.

At Jude and Cordelia’s earnest request, Red Wind nodded her head several times
while saying that she understood it.

And a dozen minutes later…

Jude suddenly stopped walking and looked back as he said.

“Lady Cordelia.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Why do you keep walking behind me?”

“So that I can see Daddy’s tail well.”

When Jude’s expression stiffened, Cordelia cheerfully laughed and said.

“Okay, okay. I’ll take the lead for a while. Relax by looking at my tail.”

“I’m okay with it though?”

“Why are you walking behind me when you said you’re okay with it then?”

“For fairness?”

“Bullsh*t.”

In the end, the two walked side by side as usual.

The task that Great Storm had assigned them was to investigate Violent Avalanche’s
sanctuary.

But the two had one more purpose.

“Are we also going there?”

“We should stop by there.”

In Legend of Heroes, there were few opportunities to travel through the land of the
barbarians.

It was possible in the early stages of Kirara’s scenario and in the part of Red Wind’s
homecoming, but even in the homecoming part, the places they could go to were
limited.

‘They said that all areas will be opened in the last expansion pack.’

And perhaps it was the reason why there were several areas that they couldn’t go
then, even though it was obvious that something was there.

There was one line that Jude and Cordelia had taken note of.

In Red Wind’s homecoming event, there was a line that said, ‘There seems to be
something.’ However, that area couldn’t be visited despite that fact.

That area just near the road to Violent Avalanche’s sanctuary, so they thought that
they should stop by there first.

‘If my hypothesis is correct… Solari’s ruins would be in that place.’

The ruins of Solari, the sun god.

There were certain patterns in the ruins of Solari located throughout the continent,
so in Jude’s hypothesis, several ruins of Solari must have also existed in the land of
the barbarians.

And as if it was obvious, the places that they couldn’t go to in the game and the
places that Jude suspected to have the ruins of Solari were both located in the same
position on the map.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

However, the two only pretended to walk and did not take a step forward. Because
both of them were intending to walk behind the other.

“What’s with those intentions?”

“Are you talking about you or me?”

Eventually, the two walked side by side again.

And at the same time, in a completely different place…

There was a male and female pair who were likewise squabbling.

***

“What did you just say?”

“They must have crossed the border.”

Adelia appeared in front of Gael, who was doing his morning training in their
accommodation’s yard, and she said with an agitated face.

“The signal keeps moving away. They’re still moving north even at this moment.”

Gael and Adelia were now in Vedrfolnir, considered as the entrance of Count
Hræsvelgr’s territory.

Considering that Jude and Cordelia spent nearly fifteen days traveling from
Langesthei to Vedrfolnir, Gael and Adelia’s traveling speed was seriously fast.

But it was not enough. Jude and Cordelia were still so far away.

And what was worse here was the fact that they completely crossed the border.

“Are you saying that Jude and Cordelia crossed over to the land of the barbarians?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying! I’ve already told you that a few times!”

Adelia loudly shouted, before she took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and then
said.

“This isn’t the time to argue about this and that. We have to cross the border too.”

There was a huge difference between wandering within the Salen Kingdom and
wandering in the land of the barbarians beyond the border.

The land of the barbarians.

It was the land of the savage and cruel barbarians.

The Salen Kingdom had been fighting these barbarians for hundreds of years
already.

‘Jude, you evil bastard!’

Going to a nice place wasn’t enough for you when you took her around, so you dragged
Cordelia to such a living hell?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t forgive him. Even if Cordelia
objected or her father opposed it, she would have their engagement called off
without fail once she caught the two.

“I’ll even go by myself, just so you know.”

“Let’s hurry then.”

“Excuse me?”
“Let’s hurry up then.”

Gael didn’t end it with just words alone. He went right back to his room, and within a
few minutes, he packed all his luggage and came down.

“First of all, we must keep it a secret that Jude and Lady Cordelia have crossed the
border. Count Hræsvelgr will somehow get in the way if he knew that we’re trying to
cross the border too.”

Count Hræsvelgr was the margrave that guarded the border.

The head of the Jackdaws wouldn’t easily let them cross the border.

“Wait, we’re sneaking through?”

“Were you thinking of openly crossing then?”

When Gael asked in return, Adelia was instantly speechless and blinked her eyes.

Because it was as what Gael said.

Several procedures were needed to legally cross the border. Moreover, it was unlikely
that Count Hræsvelgr, who had already been disgraced by Jude and Cordelia, would
obediently let them create a new problem.

It would be a huge blow to Count Hræsvelgr if he eventually allowed Gael and Adelia
to cross the border and then some accident happened to them there.

Still, Adelia had no choice but to be flustered.

“Will that be okay?”

“Oh, how do you cross the border then? You don’t have to worry about it. Count
Bayer knows everything about the border that separates the north. If it’s a route to
secretly cross the border, there are about 10 routes that we know.”

“N-no, that’s not it.”

It wasn’t just crossing over the wall next door.

It was a situation of crossing over the northern wall that bordered the land of the
barbarians.

During their travel together in the last few days, Adelia had thought that Gael was an
upright and sincere man.

He was a man of integrity himself who did not skip training every morning even
during a trip, did not show signs of hardship no matter how hard it was, and solved
everything according to the set rules, whether other people spoke ill of him or not.

But this man was trying to sneak across the border.

It was also through a secret route that Count Bayer knew.

“Do you have any other problems then?”

“That… no, it’s not a problem.”

He naturally knew that she would object.

Or go to Count Hræsvelgr and ask for help.

“Let’s start right away then.”

Before she knew it, Gael had already brought out the horses from the stable. The
dumbfounded Adelia suddenly found herself riding on the horse and running after
Gael.

She thought it was an unexpected action for him.

He was a man who was not fully sincere. No, he was a sincere man, but he could
discern the gravity of the situation.

“We’re going to change horses in Lankebuste! I’ve contacted them in advance, so we

won’t suffer from any delays!”

In addition, he was a man who was thoroughly prepared.

‘How reliable.’
He somehow resembled her older brother.

Adelia slightly raised her assessment of Gael as she unconsciously smiled a little,
before she focused on riding again.

Their horses continued running towards the north.

Terms used in this chapter:

Monster Hunter – a hack and slash, strategy adventure game. Unlike traditional
computer role-playing games, a player’s Hunter does not grow and has no intrinsic
attributes whatsoever. Rather, the Hunter’s abilities are instead defined by the
specific weapons and armor they select prior to leaving on a mission.
The reason why the Salen Kingdom did not expand its influence on the land of the
northern barbarians was simple.

“Because it’s hard to live here.”

They didn’t stop at Thunderdoom Fortress just for no reason.

There were two main reasons why the land of the barbarians was difficult to live in.
One was the harsh natural environment, and the other was the monsters that
appeared everywhere.

“It’s cold and barren, and there are many monsters, so it’s not a place for people to
live.”

That was why the barbarians strike the northern border every few years. The north
was hard to live in, while the south was habitable.

It was to find a better place to live.

“Haa… haa… this is tough. There’s really nothing but snow as far as I can see.”

Cordelia panted as she left deep impressions of new footprints on the pure white
snowfield without a single footprint.

At first, she liked that it was beautiful, but its beauty was only for a while as she
began hating the snowfield that spread out endlessly while she walked.

The environment in the land of the barbarians was really harsh.

The village of the Great Storm tribe was still a bit livable, as it felt like a village
located in the northernmost part of in Count Hræsvelgr’s territory.

However, as soon as they left the village area, it was slightly like a worse version of
Frost Anvil.

Blizzards ruthlessly stormed as heaps of snow piled up everywhere.

Had it not been for the Winter Protection, it would have been difficult to even
breathe properly.

“The barbarians are… haa… really… haa… the reason… haa… is…”

Living in this environment naturally made them stronger.

No, the weak would not survive in the first place.

Unlike Cordelia, who was gasping and saying whatever she wanted to say until the
end, Jude closed his mouth and just checked their direction with a compass.

They were in the northwest direction from the village of the Great Storm tribe.

After measuring the distance in his head, Jude soon sent a hand signal to Cordelia.

“What? Do we have to go a little longer? Hasn’t it been… haa… like that… haa… since
a while ago?”

Jude responded with a hand signal again instead of answering, and Cordelia lost her
temper.

“Ah, fu-! It’s better if you just say it with your eyes!”

It was easier for her to understand than a hand signal she didn’t know about.

‘It’s amazing when I think about it. How did you do that? Is this like an animal’s
instinct? As expected of a beast, huh?’

“A beast?”

Cordelia somewhat comprehended Jude’s gaze and hit him hard on the back.

Jude continued to speak with his eyes.

‘It’s really just a little further. Can you see that slightly raised side over there? There
is a way down there. An underground cave, I think?’

Seeing Jude’s gaze, Cordelia frowned and groaned as she repeated her question.
Because his words were too long, it seemed that she couldn’t properly understand it.

“Uh… so there’s a way down there?”

‘That’s right.’

“F*ck, just say it yourself. Talk in words. Say it in words, Daddy!”

“Yes.”

Jude briefly responded to her whining and began to take the lead again, and Cordelia
gasped for breath and continued following Jude.

In terms of physical strength, the relationship between the two was completely
reversed due to the Sunflower.

And around 5 minutes later…

Jude and Cordelia finally reached the entrance of a huge cave.

As Jude had said, it was a large cave that stretched downwards, and it was like the
entrance to a dungeon.

‘This place was in the original story.’

There seems to be something – now that that short line in the game had appeared in
front of them, it was impossible for them to not enter this place.

Jude swallowed down and had a small smile. Because his heart was beating at the
thought of going to a place he had never been before and taking a step towards the
unknown.

Unlike Jude however, Cordelia strongly reacted in surprise as she stood in her spot
and then said.

“Say, let’s get in there quickly. I don’t want to be exposed to a blizzard again. It would
be better once we get in.”
“…But there’s no romance.”

“Romance and so on is worthless if you’re not warm and comfortable. What kind of
romance is that when we’re freezing?”

Cordelia rapidly spit out words without dreams or hopes as she quickly made a
magic light and took the lead as she began to go down.

“Be careful.”

“Yes, you too.”

As soon as they started going down, Jude naturally took the lead. He was three steps
ahead of Cordelia. He could feel Cordelia openly gazing at his tail, but from here on, it
was not the time to stop and walk side by side.

He stood in the front line and protected Cordelia who was in the rear.

He became a shield that would protect Cordelia from any danger.

“A little reliable, huh?”

“Ha?”

“No, your tail is cute.”

Instead of getting angry, Cordelia laughed and looked around with a little curiosity
because the blizzard had disappeared.

The cave that led downwards had a very high ceiling, and strangely enough, it
widened as it went downwards.

“Uh… I think I’m getting scared.”

Nearly 30 meters down, the cave became so large that it could not be seen with her
small magic light.

A dark and humid cave where one had no idea on what’s around.

The sound of water droplets dripping from afar seemed to be heard regularly, and
soon, the sound of a buzzing bug was heard.

“Cordelia, can you increase the light a little more?”

“Yes, wait a second.”

Increasing the intensity of the light naturally increased the mana consumption but
securing their visibility of the surroundings was a priority.

When Cordelia added more mana to her spell, the magical sphere that emitted the
soft light doubled at once, and the light intensity was more than tripled.

Paa-!

At that moment, the light devoured the darkness as if they had turned on the light in
a dark room. The surrounding landscape was revealed more clearly, and at that
instant, Cordelia almost screamed.

There were dozens of pairs of eyes in all directions.

A surprisingly large number of monsters were watching from the sides of the walls
and ceiling, and she wondered why they had not noticed so far.

“Cordelia! Begin!”

Jude instantly shouted and Cordelia immediately understood it. She turned around
and stood back to back with Jude, while Jude clenched both of his fists instead of
drawing out the Eastern Warrior’s Sword.

The numbers were estimated to be around twenty to thirty at most.

Fortunately, the monster itself was a known species to them.

“Snow Goblin!”

“Live in big groups! White skin with a bluish glow! Blue eyes!”

“Obviously ice attribute!”

“Poisonous nails and teeth!”

“Timid and seriously coward personality! If they’re a bit disadvantaged, they run
right away!”

Jude and Cordelia shouted in turns.

However, they had no choice but to correct their words.

“Hey! Their eyes are red!”

“Fallen version! If they have that, they won’t run away!”

“Berserk Mode!”

The situation had changed for the Snow Goblins who had been corrupted due to
their exposure to the power of Belial, the overlord of corruption.

They were poisonous species who rushed and fought until the last one died.

“Here it comes!”

“Believe in me!”

When Jude cried out, Cordelia confidently shouted as the Wind’s Wing Arrow in her
waist flew into the air. Immediately, she used the Witch Transformation and then
yelled.

“I’ll wipe them all away!”

“Yondu!”

Jude looked at the Wind’s Wing Arrow in anticipation, and after taking a so-called
swordsmanship pose, she deftly moved her hand to control the Wind’s Wing Arrow.

Shaa-!

The Wind’s Wing Arrow seemed to fly at a terrifying speed with a piercing sound
and it flew precisely between the forehead of the Snow Goblin in front of Jude.

“Kaaa!”
The monster who was hit in the head fell. Jude cheered as he expected the Wind’s
Wing Arrow to penetrate the others in succession like what he saw in the movie.

But there was nothing more. The Wind’s Wing Arrow was blocked by the Snow
Goblin’s skull and couldn’t go any further.

“Uh… this isn’t it.”

Cordelia said, and at that moment, the Snow Goblins roared and began to rush
towards them.

“F*ck! I knew it would be like this!”

“Great Storm, you fraud!”

Spitting out an insult after a long time, Jude held his breath and used Twenty-Four
Gale Steps. A strong gust of wind was created and quickly swept the area around
Cordelia at the same time.

He prevented them from approaching Cordelia.

He knocked down the enemies with one blow and steadily reduced their numbers.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Roars broke out in succession, and four of the Snow Goblins that approached in
advance and swarmed on all sides, had their heads, necks, and chests smashed
before they fell down.

However, it was only four of them. The Snow Goblins lunged at them without care
like a sea’s surging waves.

“Let’s run!”

Each of them were weak, but there were too many of them. So Jude thought that they
should at least change their location for the fight.

Jude quickly grabbed Cordelia’s waist at that instant and carried her on his shoulders
like a sack.
Normally, Cordelia would have said something about it, but she didn’t say anything
because they were in the middle of a battle, and at that moment, Jude kicked the
ground as he soared up high.

“Guaaa!”

Snow Goblins swarmed into the place where Jude once stood as they ferociously
roared, while Jude stepped on their heads and tried to go back to the path they
originally came down from.

But it was impossible. Because a new group of Snow Goblins had already appeared
and blocked their retreat.

‘Was it a settlement from the beginning?!’

Snow Goblins often formed large colonies than the other goblins. If it was really a
proper settlement, their numbers could exceed a hundred.

‘We need to go to a high place.’

Jude looked for a place with a higher ground to avoid being surrounded by them.
And it was at that moment.

“Don’t! I’ll use it again, so carry me on the back! Ah, no! Carry me in your arms!”

Cordelia abruptly shouted, and Jude automatically followed her words. He shifted
her position of being carried on his shoulders to the so-called princess hug.

“Go!”

Cordelia exclaimed. At the same time, an intense wind swept around Jude and
Cordelia.

Shaaaaaaaa-!

It was the Wind’s Wing Arrow.

It came out from the head of the monster it first defeated and then passed through
the Snow Goblins at a terrifying pace.
No, it wasn’t just that.

“Kaah!”

“Ack!”

“Kiiee!”

The arrowhead of the Wind’s Wing Arrow tore and wound the skin of the Snow
Goblins’ neck, waist, and so on.

‘Crazy.’

Her control skills were truly terrifying.

If she couldn’t penetrate it, then tear and wound them.

The theory itself was simple, but it was an arrowhead and not just anything else.
Moving it at such a rapid pace and wounding their skin was close to an acrobatic
feat.

‘However.’

It was meaningless if it was just a scratch.

The Snow Goblins weren’t that weak enough that they’d kick the bucket from just
that.

Cordelia was also aware of that fact. So she had added one more measure.

“Kuuk!”

“Kiiee!”

The Snow Goblins who were wounded by the Wind’s Wing Arrow suddenly let out
their dying breaths.

The reason was simple.

“Poison!”
“That’s it!”

<Poison Blade>.

With the witch’s spell, Cordelia had added a highly toxic poison to the arrowhead.

Moreover, Cordelia’s combo didn’t end there.

Because there were new spells that she had learned due to repeatedly leveling up.

“Explosion!”

Cordelia released the spell and clenched her fist. The Snow Goblins’ wounds seemed
to swell and soon burst out into something purple.

<Poison Explosion>.

In a word, it was an explosion of poison.

It was a magic that exploded the poison on the enemy, and the greater the amount of
poison on them, the greater the power of the explosion was.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of explosions followed one after another as if they were one.

Cordelia’s <Poison Explosion> was weak because she had just learned it, but she had
already calculated it to that extent, or rather, Cordelia had instinctively understood
it.

The Wind’s Wing Arrow did not wound them just anywhere.

It only targeted places where even a small explosion could be fatal.

“Kiiee!”

The Snow Goblin with a torn throat choked and fell down, and the one next to it
couldn’t even scream properly because its groin exploded. Some of them couldn’t
properly move due to their waist and ankle injuries.
“Haa… haa… ha… h-how is it?”

Cordelia had used up a lot of mana and her concentration at once, and as she turned
to Jude while breaking out into a cold sweat, Jude first looked around. Over a dozen
Snow Goblins had entirely fallen and were making groaning sounds.

‘She’s Yellow Storm indeed.’

At least in the area of one-to-many hunting, she overtook Jude himself and was said
to be the strongest in Legend of Heroes 2.

“As expected of the Massacre King.”

“No… it’s not. Even the strong guys are good… at slaughtering?”

And that was it. Cordelia painstakingly spoke as blood dripped from her nose and
her languid arms fell down.

“I’ll deal the last hit, so just rest for now.”

“Fu-f*ck…”

With a resentful cry, Cordelia fainted from overexerting herself.

‘Still, it was incredible.’

Jude and Cordelia had just reached level 30. At this level, Cordelia was probably the
only one who can create a scene like that.

‘I look forward to the future.’

How strong would she become in the future?

Jude smiled while looking at the fainted Cordelia’s face, before he began dealing the
last hit to the struggling goblins.

***

“Ah.”
Cordelia opened her eyes.

She had a headache and her whole body had no strength.

“Uh.”

She uttered again. She then heard a familiar voice.

“Did you wake up?”

Instead of answering, Cordelia firmly closed her eyes once, before she opened them
and looked around.

They were still in the cave.

She was on Jude’s back.

“Uh… where are we?”

“Inside the cave. The deeper we go, the less Snow Goblins there are.”

“Why?”

“…Isn’t it obvious?”

“My head hurts. I don’t want to think.”

Cordelia whined and hit Jude’s shoulder several times with her chin, and Jude said
after clicking his tongue.

“The divine power is getting stronger. That, do you remember the Leisegang’s seal?
It’s similar here.”

“So, we’re in the right place?”

“Yes, I’m certain there are ruins of Solari here.”

“Hey, that’s exciting.”

Cordelia weakly responded and then looked at herself. She soon realized that she
was tied to something like a podaegi and was hanging on Jude’s back.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t find a diaper.”

“Don’t go too far.”

Instead of creating a magic light, Cordelia stared at the torch Jude was holding before
she spoke.

“So, how much longer do we have to go?”

“I think we’re almost there.”

It was as Jude said. When Cordelia looked straight ahead, she could see something
like a door in that place.

“Solari’s crest.”

“It’s not a mere ruin. It’s similar to a grave.”

Jude brought the torch closer to the crest engraved on the stone door and scrutinized
it once before he spoke.

“Cordelia, are you able to walk by yourself?”

“Perhaps?”

“Then I’ll let you down first.”

When Jude untied the podaegi, Cordelia seemed to somewhat wobble, but soon
succeeded in standing on her own feet.

“Huu, Wind’s Wing Arrow consumes too much mana.”

“Its power was a little weak. But its mobility was amazing.”

“Mana… it seems that its power will increase if I pour more… but to do that, I think I
need to raise my level a lot more.”

After she said that, Cordelia took out the mana potion from her waist pocket and
gulped it down.

“Uh… bitter. Anyway, let’s go in now.”

Solari’s historical ruins.

If this was a grave, it would certainly have items that would be helpful in fighting
demons in the future.

“Wait a second.”

Jude lightly loosened his shoulders before carefully opening the stone door.

“Wow.”

It was like a cave even beyond the stone door, but its appearance was completely
different.

Far from being dark and dreary, jewels that emitted a blue light were embedded here
and there, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

Moreover, the water stream flowing down the wall was so clear that one could see
the water about a meter deep.

“This is clearly Solari’s power.”

Thanks to the Sun’s Necklace, Jude was familiar with Solari’s divine power.

“Can you figure out whose tomb is this?”

Rather than immediately answering Cordelia’s question, Jude shifted his gaze
towards the end of the sarcophagus (stone coffin) some distance away.

It was a huge sarcophagus measuring 1.5 meters high and 4 meters long.

In addition to Solari’s crest engraved in the coffin, there were several sacred texts
inscribed on it.

“Oh my god.”
“Why?”

“It’s the tomb of Galleon.”

At Jude’s reply, Cordelia blinked before her eyes widely opened and she asked back.

“Galleon? The disciple of Gallus? Saint Galleon?”

“Yes, Saint Galleon.”

Gallus, Solari’s champion who sealed the Demon Prince Leisegang, had three
disciples who inherited his skills.

They were Saint Galleon, Paladin Berfa, and Crusader Amelia.

T/N: The word ‘Saint’ in Saint Galleon refers to the ‘saint’ in the Saint Seiya series, and
not the Catholic saints. Saints in the Saint Seiya series are also something like holy
fighters.

As fo ‘Crusader’, it means ‘holy warrior’ in the literal translation of its Korean word, but
I used ‘crusader’ because Diablo 3 used that word for the Korean translation of its
crusader character class.

“Wow, isn’t there something great here then?”

“Perhaps?”

Galleon was also a named person in Solari’s denomination.

Cordelia’s eyes began to sparkle.

“Let’s quickly open it.”

If there was something here, it would be inside the sarcophagus.

Moreover, Saint Galleon was the progenitor of the God’s Fist used by the Guardians
of the Holy Cross.

There was a high possibility that it contained useful stuff for the present Jude.
‘Though if you think about it, isn’t this a tomb robbing?’

It wasn’t a sealed demon or a villain, but a saint’s tomb.

“Well, we can’t help it right?”

They were two people who were likely to clash with the Devil’s Eye during the time
that they would be examining the condition of Violent Avalanche’s sanctuary.

In order to prevent the future that would escalate into a catastrophe, they needed a
power to fight the demons.

“But let’s at least offer a prayer first.”

“Yes, let’s offer a silent prayer.”

It was different from the game.

Jude and Cordelia prayed to Solari together and held a moment of silence for Galleon.

And after one minute…

Jude and Cordelia smiled after looking at each other before they touched the coffin.
Trembling in excitement at the thought of finding a completely new item, they tried
to lift the seal that locked the coffin.

And it was at that moment.

[Who dares touch the tomb of the holy fighter!]

A rough and angry voice violently shook not only the inside of Jude and Cordelia’s
heads but also the entire cave.

“Jude!”

When Cordelia covered her ears using both of her hands, Jude grabbed Cordelia’s
waist. He immediately used Twenty-Four Gale Steps to leave the spot where they
were standing, and at that very moment, lightning bolts fell from the ceiling and
struck the place where Jude was standing.
Craaack… Boom!

It was a blue thunderbolt.

Blue light continuously gathered over Galleon’s tomb and soon took the shape of a
winged leopard.

[He who defiles the tomb! Ye cannot avoid Solari’s retribution!]

A giant leopard with blue fur stood at the top of the coffin and stared at Jude and
Cordelia.

It was clearly the guardian of the tomb, who often appeared in historic ruins related
to Solari.

“Tomb Guardian.”

“The lowest ranked angel.”

“No intelligence. Virtually a gargoyle. It’s highly likely that its words are pre-
recorded.”

“Holy attribute. Solari’s angel with an additional solar attribute.”

“What should we do?”

“We have to fight.”

It seemed like prayers and silent tributes were not enough.

Whether they had wanted to open Galleon’s coffin or run away, they had no choice
but to fight now that it had come to this.

Furthermore, their party had one more reason to fight it.

“By the way.”

“Yes?”

“Is that an angel?”

Angel.

It was the lowest of the angels, but it was still an angel.

It may be similar to a gargoyle, but in the first place, it was a being made up of flesh
and blood.

“Angel’s blood.”

Cordelia said, and Jude nodded his head.

The eyes of the two rotten waters began to brightly shine.

Terms used in this chapter:

Podaegi – a Korean baby sling/carrier with a medium to large rectangle of fabric

hanging from a very long strap. Traditionally the rectangle is quilted for warmth and
wraps around the mother’s torso, while the straps are wrapped snug under the
baby’s bottom and tied around to the front to support and secure the baby on the
mother’s back.
All of the angels were classified into nine ranks, and the Tomb Guardian in front of
them was a ninth-ranked angel belonging to the lowest rank.

However, even though it was of the ninth rank, it was still a heavenly being.

If only its natural skills were taken into consideration, it was a superior existence
incomparable to that of human beings.

Jude and Cordelia recalled the Tomb Guardian that they had encountered in the
original story.

It would have been possible for them to fight and wipe out an entire army of tomb
guardians if it was their original game characters, but now, they were only two level
30 humans.

“In terms of level, we can never win.”

The Tomb Guardian was virtually treated as a level 40 monster.

Moreover, this place was a historic ruin saturated with Solari’s power. Calculating the
buff effect that the Tomb Guardian will receive, the two had a long way to go if they
wanted to win.

However, the tenacity of rotten waters couldn’t easily be extinguished once it had
begun to catch fire.

“Should we still do it?”

“We should. We should at least get some blood.”

Jude had said that they shouldn’t leave the opponent, and Cordelia nodded.

“Then we have to defeat it.”

“We have to defeat it.”

Literally obtaining the blood was just the minimum.

The two looked in front again and saw the Tomb Guardian sitting in a posture full of
dignity on top of Galleon’s sarcophagus.

Its appearance looked really strong due to the golden light wrapped around its body
that came from Solari’s buff.

“It reminds me of the old days.”

“When?”

“When I first played Legend of Heroes 2.”

For the Cordelia who was a newbie that had just started, the Tomb Guardian was
definitely a terrifying boss that was the embodiment of despair itself.

“Yeah.”

Jude also remembered his newbie days. He started playing Legend of Heroes 2 by
chance after his retirement.

‘If I hadn’t met that person, I wouldn’t have been here for this long.’

There were two reasons why Jude’s past life, Outboxer009, was crazily immersed on
Legend of Heroes 2.

One was for fun, and the other was…

“Why? You’re thinking of something weird, aren’t you? You have a wicked look in
your eyes, you know?”

“Maybe.”

“What?”

Jude smiled again.

After somehow winning 1st place, teasing the 2nd place Yellow Storm became one of
his life’s pleasures.

Even Jude himself honestly found it to be really childish.

If his former colleagues knew what he was doing, they would have disappointed
expressions.

But still, he couldn’t help it.

He could say that Yellow Storm’s existence made Legend of Heroes 2 really fun.

“It’s because of you.”

He had been playing Legend of Heroes 2 for so long that he had put in his head all
those different and unusual knowledge that were useless in real life.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you! We’re in a situation where we have to fight the boss,
okay?”

At Cordelia’s prodding, Jude nodded and looked towards the sarcophagus again.

The Tomb Guardian was not like a mob with the name and title of ‘guardian’ who
attacked first. Unless the other side attacked first, it would just sit on the
sarcophagus and only watch.

“In other words, we still have time to prepare.”

“We can’t cast strong spells in advance. Because it reacts to spells.”

“I know, so let’s do this.”

Cordelia frowned at Jude’s glance before she nodded.

“Okay, let’s do that.”

“Did you understand what I wanted to say?”

“Roughly. Plus… the number of times I’ve defeated the Tomb Guardian was twice as
many as you… no, was it triple?”
There were things that the current Jude and Cordelia could do with the power they
had.

After all, in terms of combat, it could be said that Cordelia was a natural at it. Jude
nodded again and said to her.

“Okay, then let’s begin right away.”

No matter how good they were in having a telepathic conversation with their eyes,
the two still had some parts that they had to directly put into words.

The two exchanged a quick conversation while they began working at the same time,
and within a minute or so, they had finished all their preparations.

“It’s sort of strange that it’s really waiting for us.”

“It’s a good boy. That angel.”

The Tomb Guardian looked down at them with a solemn expression, and Jude and
Cordelia spoke some short words before they inhaled at the same time. Afterwards,
they slowly exhaled as they prepared themselves for battle.

A golden sacred battle aura rose from Jude’s body.

Cordelia’s hair turned black, and her blue eyes glowed.

“Let’s go.”

“<Haste>!”

Acceleration magic was cast on Jude’s whole body. Jude then used Twenty-Four Gale
Steps, and the Tomb Guardian reacted to Jude as he shot forward like an arrow.

“Aaa-!”

Sacred Echo.

It was a kind of sonic attack that spread out over a wide range. The effect of this
debuff lowered the stats of the enemies that got hit with it.

The Tomb Guardian always began its attack with Sacred Echo, so Jude was already
prepared for it.

‘Holy Cross Punch.’

A huge golden cross appeared from Jude’s fist and acted like a shield as it blocked
the front of Jude.

It collided with the Sacred Echo, and at that moment, the Tomb Guardian flew up.

Pah!

Jude ran forward. The Tomb Guardian’s second attack, Wild Blades of Light, was a
wide range attack. It poured down blades of light from the ceiling like rain, and the
best way to prevent it from reaching Cordelia was to change the starting point of the
light attack itself.

Papapapapa!

The blades of light rained down towards the swiftly moving Jude as he had expected.

With his sharpened senses, Jude quickly used Twenty-Four Gale Steps. He avoided
the blades of light and let the blades of light hit the whirlwinds and the Wind Barrier
that he got from Great Storm.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The blades of light crashed into the ground and exploded.

As it exploded inside the whirlwind, Jude counted down in his head and then
shouted.

“Hurry up!”

“Here it goes!”

Cordelia moved her hand, and at that moment, the witch’s <Dark Blade> flew into
the air and rushed towards the Tomb Guardian.
The Tomb Guardian turned towards the <Dark Blade> and at the same time,
activated a Light Barrier.

Paaa!

The <Dark Blade> from the power of darkness, and the sacred Light Barrier clashed
with each other, causing lightning sparks.

And Cordelia smiled.

“Bingo.”

It was one of Jude’s speaking habits.

The <Dark Blade> rushed to the front while the Wind’s Wing Arrow that flew as if it
were crawling on the floor, soared upwards as it aimed at the Tomb Guardian’s back.
It then pierced the Tomb Guardian’s back before it could even react!

“Kaah!”

The power of the Wind’s Wing Arrow was weak.

Its penetration power was also uncertain, to the point that it was blocked by a
goblin’s skull.

However, Cordelia did not use the Wind’s Wing Arrow for attacking in the first place.

The Wind’s Wing Arrow was simply a means to move something.

Its real purpose was to move the Bicorn’s horn tied to the arrowhead of the Wind’s
Wing Arrow.

“Kuuuaah!”

The Bicorn’s curse penetrated into the Tomb Guardian’s body.

But not yet. It was not enough to bring down a heavenly being.

“So we prepared one more shot.”

At the moment Cordelia spoke, Jude threw another Bicorn’s horn.

The Bicorn’s horn flew at a terrifying speed and pierced the side of the Tomb
Guardian who lost its concentration, and the Bicorn’s curse doubled.

“Keuuuuoh!”

The Tomb Guardian violently charged towards Jude.

Cordelia chanted the witch’s curse and the dark energy that came from the Bicorn’s
horns bound the Tomb Guardian’s whole body.

“Kuaaaaaah!”

But it was a Tomb Guardian.

The heavenly being endured the pain and opened its mouth wide, and a huge wave of
light left from its mouth.

It was the Tomb Guardian’s strongest attack, Holy Breath.

“Jude!”

Cordelia urgently cried at the terrifying wave of light that covered her eyes, and Jude
reminded Cordelia of the one thing that she had forgotten.

Using the Fairy Steps, he passed by the wave of light itself and rushed towards the
Tomb Guardian!

Thud!

He kicked the ground hard. Jude flew to the Tomb Guardian’s side and at the same
time, he drew his fist.

The Tomb Guardian’s gaze headed towards Jude. But it was too late. Jude’s fist was
already halfway to hammering the Bicorn’s horn, or to be precise, it was on the verge
of hitting the dagger made by processing the Bicorn’s horn.

Boom!
A roar burst again. Jude’s fist struck the dagger made from the Bicorn’s horn, and as
if a hammer struck a nail, the Bicorn’s horn penetrated deeply into the Tomb
Guardian’s body.

“Kuaaaaaah!”

The Tomb Guardian twisted its body. It randomly swung its feet towards Jude, and
sharp claws cut through the air.

Jude calmly responded. He used the Twenty-Four Gale Steps, and as he evaded its
attacks, he prepared for his next move.

He counted the numbers in his mind.

‘The Bicorn has two horns.’

All the heavenly energy that surrounded the Tomb Guardian’s body had been
removed.

But this was not enough. They had to bring it down a little more.

What was the best way to defeat a heavenly being?

The answer could be found in classical literature.

Turn it corrupt.

Bring it to ruin.

Bring down the heavenly being to the ground.

Curses poured out from the Bicorn’s horn. And at that moment, Jude found a way
through its random attacks. He flew as he penetrated through the whirlwind, and
once again seized on the opportunity to attack.

Fist attack.

But it wasn’t an ordinary fist attack.

A few months had already passed since he opened his eyes in Pleiades. During that
time, Jude learned many things and came into a conclusion.

There was no need for him to move like this was still a game.

Because this was reality.

It was a place where he could do things that were systematically impossible in the
game.

So he was going to do it.

He would use everything that he could to increase his combat power.

Bang!

Jude’s fist struck the thigh of the Tomb Guardian’s hind leg. At the same time, a
change took place in the specially made knuckles Jude had requested from the
blacksmith of the Great Storm tribe. One of the magic circles that had been rolled
into the front of the fist, was set ablaze.

What he used was a basic curse magic that slightly reduced the enemy’s stats.

He planned to directly hit the magic circle from a close distance. If he had to give it a
name, should it be a physical curse?

“Kuaaah!”

The curse gnawed at the Tomb Guardian. Jude continued to punch without stopping.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The magic circles, which were loaded like bullets, continued to burn.

“Curse! Poison! Curse! Poison!”

It wasn’t a strong magic, but the Bicorn’s horns had already removed the heavenly
protection the Tomb Guardian had.

When the curses and poison overlapped, its condition became noticeably worse.
Moreover, Jude knew the basics of combat.

He hit the spot where he had once hit.

He further damaged the damaged area.

“Kuuu… kuu…”

The Tomb Guardian was hit on the thigh one after another, and it collapsed when it
could no longer stand properly. Since it couldn’t properly attack now, it hurriedly
flapped its wings and flew away.

“Keuuuuuah!”

It flew up and used its Holy Breath once more.

Jude threw a hatchet and a dagger from his waist to the flying one in succession.

The Light Barrier that it suddenly created again, blocked the primitive weapons that
he threw, but it didn’t matter to him.

After all, his only purpose was to get its attention.

“Isn’t this enough now?”

At Jude’s question, Cordelia responded to it through her actions. Cordelia shouted

towards the enemy that was completely distracted by Jude.

“<Spear of Calamity>!”

It was one of the witch’s spells.

Covered in sweat, Cordelia grasped in her right hand a long and huge mass of black
light.

The Tomb Guardian hastily turned towards Cordelia, but it was too late. Cordelia
threw the <Spear of Calamity> towards it, as she bled from her nose.

Shaaa!
It wasn’t fast. But it wasn’t something that could be avoided.

The Tomb Guardian hurriedly opened its mouth to let out an echo of light, but it had
lost most of its heavenly powers due to the overlapping debuffs.

The echo of light was shattered like glass. The <Spear of Calamity> rushed forward
and struck the face of the Tomb Guardian!

“Kuaaaaah!”

The <Spear of Calamity> pierced its open mouth. Then it continuously burned the
enemy’s body with black flames.

Thud!

The Tomb Guardian crashed to the ground.

Cordelia sank to her knees and panted, and Jude drew the Eastern Warrior’s Sword,
but it was no longer necessary.

Rings of pure white light.

The rings surrounded Jude and Cordelia in succession. Information about new titles
also came into their minds.

‘You acquired the titles ‘The one who attacked the heavens’ and ‘Angel Killer.’ When
fighting an angel, all stats increase by 1%. You also gain a weak resistance to an
angel’s mind attacks.’

The enemy might be of the lowest rank, but it was still an angel.

Jude grinned as he counted the rings of light.

‘Indeed, it was a level 40 enemy.’

Satisfied with the three rings of light that he had, Jude took a deep breath and then
turned to Cordelia.

“Uh… are you satisfied with this now?”

“Haa… haa… f*ck.”

Without even thinking about wiping off the blood from her nose, Cordelia fell on her
back, but her face was smiling.

“I got the last hit.”

“Congratulations, Madam.”

Jude clapped his hands, and instead of approaching Cordelia who was wrapped in
four rings of light, he approached the body of the Tomb Guardian.

‘I’m glad it’s like a gargoyle.’

If it was an intelligent angel, it would have been a very difficult fight.

‘No, if that was so, we wouldn’t had to fight at all.’

Because they might have been able to persuade it.

Well, they defeated it somehow. Jude retrieved the Bicorn’s horns and hurriedly
collected the angel’s blood into a water bottle at once.

“It’s sparkling.”

It was red, but it was filled with a faint golden glow.

“Do you think… we can use it?”

At the feeble voice that came from afar, Jude said as he slightly frowned.

“I’ll need to do some experiments first before you take it.”

It would be possible to use it for the Ancestral Regression technique, but it would be
better to use the blood of a high-ranking angel.

‘She’ll turn into a beast more than she is now.’

After all, it was the blood of a beast-type angel.

Jude widely smiled as he thought for a moment the Cordelia that would become
more of a beast than now. Because he thought that it unexpectedly suited her.

“Ah, it’s time.”

The body of the Tomb Guardian became light and disappeared. Just as demons
became ashes when they died, so did angels become light.

Jude approached Cordelia after he had collected all the angel feathers the Tomb
Guardian dropped.

“Madam, please wake up.”

“Quickly… help me…”

Cordelia panted as she answered and stood up while holding Jude’s hand.

“Will you be okay? Do you want to just lie down and rest some more?”

“I’m tired, so I’ll take some more rest. Let’s just check the contents of the
sarcophagus.”

One wasn’t a rotten water, or even a gamer itself, if they didn’t check the reward after
defeating a boss mob.

Jude agreed as he carried Cordelia who completely had no strength left to stand.

“Let’s go, Madam.”

“Let’s go, Dolswe.”

Upon reaching the sarcophagus, Jude put Cordelia down on the floor before he took a
deep breath.

It was the sarcophagus of Galleon, who was one of the three disciples of Solari’s
strongest champion, Gallus, and was also a saint who defeated numerous demons.

They wondered what exactly could be inside the sarcophagus.

“I’ll open it?”

“Wait, wait a sec. Give me a piggyback. I want to see it the moment it is opened.”

“Do you think you can hold on to me?”

“No, so use a Podaegi.”

“What a very demanding maiden.”

Though Jude clicked his tongue, he still obediently followed Cordelia’s wish.

After he carried her through a Podaegi, he stood in front of the sarcophagus again.

“Let’s open it?”

“Okay!”

Cordelia spoke with an expectant face, and Jude slowly opened the sarcophagus as
he calmed down his beating heart.

And what they found inside was completely out of their expectations.

In a good way.

***

Meanwhile at Count Chase…

Count Bayer and Count Chase were sitting face to face and enjoying a chat after a
long time.

“Come to think of it, it’s about time for Gael and Adelia to communicate to us.”

“It seemed like it took some time because Jude and Cordelia were at the end of the
north, but that wouldn’t be a problem for Gael and Adelia.”

“I suppose so.”

Both of them trusted their eldest son and eldest daughter very much.

It was no wonder as their two children had distinguished themselves in their

respective fields since their childhood.

“Perhaps sooner or later, they’ll bring Jude and Cordelia back.”

“We’ll also have to write an apology letter to Count Hræsvelgr.”

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to increase our exchanges at this opportunity.”

Count Bayer slowly nodded at Count Chase’s words.

The public thought that Count Bayer resented Count Hræsvelgr for losing his
margrave position. But no, they only thought so, as Count Bayer himself held no
regrets over Count Hræsvelgr’s position.

It was a feeling that he handed over the margrave position rather than it be taken
away from him.

“You’re like a warrior from , no, I mean, a knight.”

At Count Chase’s words, Count Bayer shrugged his shoulders once and enjoyed his
tea.

He found the smell of black tea better than usual perhaps because he was less
worried about Jude and Cordelia now.

But shortly after that…

Rough and thumping steps were heard from outside the door, and soon, the door
burst open.

It was Norton, Count Chase’s butler.

He was not one to have an unsettled appearance, but for some reason, he had an
urgent look on his face.

“What happened?”

With a slightly surprised face, Count Chased asked him, and Butler Norton delivered
the urgent news after he swallowed down his breath.
“We’ve lost contact with Lady Adelia.”

“What?”

“We lost contact with Lady Adelia. It seems like she deliberately stopped contacting
us due to some circumstances.”

Count Chase couldn’t understand it for a moment.

Why would Adelia cut off their contact?

And as if the timing was right, Count Bayer’s knight hurriedly ran and entered from
the door that was already open. As soon as he saw Count Bayer, he shouted.

“We lost contact with Lord Gael!”

It was not just Adelia. They also lost contact with Gael.

What happened?

For what reason?

“He disappeared after they were heading towards Lankebuste.”

“Lady Adelia also disappeared after she contacted me that she was heading to
Lankebuste.”

Butler Norton said following the knight’s words.

It made sense that they lost contact in the same place, since the two were acting
together in the first place.

But why? For what reason?

“No way.”

Count Bayer unconsciously said at that moment, and Count Chase turned to Count
Bayer. And Count Chase also unconsciously said.

“Perhaps?”
It was hard to imagine that Gael, who was already Count Bayer’s successor, and
Adelia, who was one of the heads of the Royal Guard Magic Corps, might have been
beaten by someone.

Then, the remaining answer was that they intentionally disappeared.

A young man and woman suddenly disappeared while traveling together.

Weren’t they familiar with this situation?

“N-no way.”

“I-it can’t be.”

The truth was that it was an extreme measure taken by the two for fear that those at
home would oppose to them crossing the border, but the two counts were unaware
of such a situation.

Even their eldest son and eldest daughter followed their second son and second
daughter.

The two counts facing each other were thrown into distress and confusion.
Just before Jude opened the sarcophagus, Cordelia unconsciously closed her eyes.

Because she thought that there was a strong possibility that the mummy or skeleton
of Saint Galleon would appear inside the sarcophagus.

Even though she was being carried on Jude’s back, she still didn’t want to see
something that was scary.

‘I’ll open my eyes based on Jude’s reaction.’

At least after Jude screamed, she would be mentally prepared before she opened her
eyes.

So Cordelia firmly closed her eyes and waited for Jude’s reaction.

“Oh.”

‘Oh?’

It wasn’t a scream.

Cordelia plucked up her courage and slightly opened her eyes, and soon, she had the
same reaction as Jude.

“Oh!”

There was no mummy or skeleton inside the sarcophagus.

In the place where a body should have been laid originally, there was a set of white
clothes decorated with gold thread, and on top of it was a pointed slate in the shape
of a triangle.

There was also a spear.

“What, what is this? Wasn’t this a tomb?”

“Wait, I’ll check the slate.”

“What does it say? Ah! I can read it too.”

Some archaic words were engraved on it, and since Cordelia was a wizard, she could
interpret archaic words to some extent.

“Uh… let me see. According to the contents of this slate…”

“It’s not a tomb.”

This place was not Galleon’s tomb.

It made sense if one thought about it. Although Solari’s denomination had a strong
influence on the entire continent in the past, it was unreasonable for the tomb of
Saint Galleon to be in the land of the barbarians, as well as for it to be deep in the
underground.

“I left a clue. Five of them. It will lead to my master. To the Holy Land that my master
protected.”

Cordelia intermittently read it out, and she suddenly hugged Jude’s neck tightly.

“Jude, Jude. Could this be real?”

“Yes, it’s real.”

There were several quests in Legend of Heroes 2 that did not have a conclusion, and
among those were some quests related to the Solari denomination.

Gallus, the most renowned champion of Solari, died in a fight against the Demon
Prince Leisegang.

The Solari denomination held a splendid funeral for the sacred hero, but the location
of the tomb was not announced to the world.

Gallus’ Tomb.
According to several pieces of information found on some of Legend of Heroes 2’s
quests, the tomb of Gallus was located somewhere on this continent, and that place
was where the most important secret of the Solari denomination was hidden.

“It’s a clue. If we collect them all, we can find out the location of Gallus’ tomb.”

Jude lifted up the triangular slate and spoke, and Cordelia suddenly thought of the
finished form of the slate.

“Pentagram.”

The reason was simple.

Because there was already a quest in Legend of Heroes 2 where you could get similar
slate pieces.

“There was also a clue on Paladin Berfa’s tomb. Perhaps each slate has a hint about
the location of a different slate.”

“Then, would it be possible to collect them all?”

“It would be possible. If we collect them all, the path to Gallus’ tomb will be opened.”

“The Holy Land of Solari.”

Their hearts were pounding. The Holy Land of the Solari denomination was
something that had a great influence throughout the entire Legend of Heroes series.
It was also referred to as the place where ‘the most important secret’ was hidden.

“Legend of Heroes will be turned upside down if they hear about it.”

“Yeah, we’ll probably get 100,000 likes.”

After the two imagined what would happen if they could brag about it back when it
was a game, they shifted their gaze from the slate to the other stuff inside the
sarcophagus.

Hundreds of years must have passed, but the cleanliness of the clothes and spear
made it look as if they were brand new.
“It’s the denomination’s clothes. Is it the saint’s clothes?”

“I think so. Because Galleon was a Saint.”

Jude quickly took out the clothes and unfolded it. It was a uniform that was likely to
be worn by a martial artist. He didn’t know what its stats were right away as this was
no longer a game, but he at least knew that the saint’s clothes increased the wearer’s
agility and strength, and also helped in the circulation of inner Qi.

“It’s a goodbye to the rabbit set.”

“Can’t you just wear the headband? If not, at least just the tail…”

Jude laughed as he ignored Cordelia’s words. He then packed up the clothes and
looked at the spear.

“I know this. Isn’t this Solari’s Holy Lance?”

“Yes, a javelin. Though it’s a one-use item, its power is outstanding.”

The Holy Lance itself wasn’t a one-time use item.

What made it a one-use only was the Ultimate skill of the Holy Spear called ‘Solari’s
Punishment.’

‘Because once it was used, the Holy Lance itself would burn and disappear.’

But as he said earlier, its power itself was outstanding, so it was good to use it as a
trump card item.

“Good, good. It’s a huge chain quest that no one has ever done. It smells like a
jackpot. Let’s depart straight to Paladin Berfa’s tomb! I want to do it now.”

Cordelia suddenly drooped her shoulders at the end of her words.

After all, the two were now in the middle of investigating Violent Avalanche’s
incident, which was the first step towards stopping the barbarians’ invasion.

Jude spoke as he soothed Cordelia on his back as if she was a baby.

“Well, the clues are all over the continent, so we can’t do it right away. Moreover, the
triangular slate that was found in Legend of Heroes 2 was in the Argon Empire,
right?”

“That’s true. It’s a shame though.”

Cordelia let out a sigh before asking Jude again.

“Then Jude, are we going to investigate Violent Avalanche’s incident right now?”

“Well… if I had to say it, I think it would be better for us to take a day’s rest first.
We’re both exhausted.”

In fact, Cordelia was more of a problem than Jude himself. After all, her mana was
severely depleted.

“Huu… my mana’s depleted, my mana…”

“The monster can’t even come in here because of Solari’s power, so let’s take a rest
and leave tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Daddy. Please give me something delicious.”

“My princess, this evening’s meal is jerky boiled in hot water.”

“Hey, how the f*ck is that good?”

Jude cheerfully laughed at Cordelia’s response, and then turned his gaze as he looked
for a place to sleep.

***

The next morning.

The two left the cave early and headed straight to Violent Avalanche’s sanctuary.

As Great Storm had said, the energy of nature was twisted, but a sanctuary was still a
sanctuary, since after they entered a certain area, the blizzard completely
disappeared, making it easier to proceed.
But it was also at that moment.

Jude and Cordelia raised their heads and then frowned.

“We have to climb up this mountain?”

Violent Avalanche lived on top of a rough and rocky mountain.

It seemed like a hundred meters high at first glance, but the path leading up to the
top looked incredibly tough and difficult to climb.

“Won’t the Devil’s Eye or Angry Bull tribesmen ambush us in the middle?”

“It’s highly likely since the warriors of the Great Storm tribe haven’t returned.”

It was a rough and rugged rocky mountain.

The demon followers and barbarians would be waiting in ambush while hidden
among the cracks and crevices of the mountain.

Cordelia quietly stared at the mountain before she looked at Jude and said.

“It’s not always good to do hard physical work.”

“We’ll eventually get there if we do it step by step, but we also have to consider
efficiency.”

It would be too exhausting if they climbed that rugged mountain while preparing to
be ambushed.

Therefore, Jude and Cordelia decided to use a trick since they were both exemplary
rotten waters.

“You’re saying that all we had to do is just get to the top.”

“Yes, the route is not fixed.”

In fact, the two had already discussed this to some extent last night.

Because of that, it made it easier to implement Plan B.

“Let’s carry out Plan Unicorn.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Jude immediately answered as he attached several magic circles to the wooden

board he was carrying on his back and then activated it.

What he used was the basic <Fly> magic.

Jude pressed on the wooden board several times as it floated up to the waist level.
Afterwards, he did a thumbs-up to Cordelia, and then covered the board with a
leather blanket on top.

“The power itself is weak, but it would last for a long time. It would be enough since
the duration of the multiple magic circles would be stacked.”

Cordelia nodded and then took out the Wind’s Wing Arrow and attached it under the
wooden board. It would be the engine, as well as the steering wheel of their
improvised vehicle.

“In front? Or behind?”

“Behind.”

If she sat on the back, she could lean forward on Jude’s back. It was a conclusion she
made when she considered efficiency.

“Then Madam, your servant will ride in front of you.”

“Okay.”

Jude sat on the wooden board, and Cordelia took a seat behind him as she grabbed
on the blanket.

“Let’s go.”

And they began floating up.

The wooden board carrying the two slowly rose to the top.
 ***

Jude’s prediction was not wrong.

A dozen warriors of the Angry Bull tribe were waiting in ambush in the middle of
Violent Avalanche’s rocky mountain.

All of them had abnormally swollen muscles and red glaring eyes, which was the
result of the corruption of the entire tribe as servants of the devil who were under
the influence of Belial, the overlord of corruption.

“The Great Storm tribe sent an investigation team again. Don’t let your guard down
because they would certainly show up sometime today.”

Each of the barbarian warriors nodded their heads at the words of Fierce Bull, a
warrior of the Angry Bull tribe and was now a demonic human of the Devil’s Eye.

The investigation team of the Great Storm tribe.

They’ve already killed two teams, but the Great Storm tribe did not give up and sent
a third one.

‘They’ll be here soon.’

At the top of the rocky mountain, Zarakul, an executive of the Devil’s Eye, was
currently working on some kind of work.

Once his work was done, they could begin a direct attack on the Great Storm tribe.

“Come as much as you want. No matter how many times you come here, you’ll all be
slaughtered.”

Fierce Bull looked down the mountain while he stroked the blade of his beloved
large axe. Each of the barbarian warriors also smiled wickedly. Because they’ve been
told that a very beautiful girl was also included in the investigation team.

“Hurry up, hurry up…”

They’ve been waiting from morning until now.

There was a bit of anxiousness in the fierce eyes of Fierce Bull as he looked at the
only path leading to the summit.

However, after an hour, and after two hours, the investigation team had yet to show
up.

The reason was simple.

Because Jude and Cordelia were already in a higher place than Fierce Bull.

***

“Haa… haa! T-this is hard.”

The two had risen at about ¾ of the mountain.

Cordelia had temporarily parked the wooden board on a considerably flat place as
she panted and said while bathed in her own sweat.

“Fu-f*ck… isn’t this more tiring?”

The <Fly> magic circles didn’t require much mana, but the problem was its duration.

Even if the Wind’s Wing Arrow flew slowly, it took a lot of mana to keep it running.

As he watched Cordelia lying down while panting, Jude calmly spoke.

“Well… I think this is a lot more comfortable.”

“Of course it is, you evil b*stard!”

All that Jude do was to just sit down.

“Whoa, whoa, please calm down, my princess.”

“Haa… haa… you’re not really a princess maker… you only make your daughter
suffer.”

“Just hang in there a bit because we’re almost there. Fighting?”

Cordelia raised her middle finger in response to Jude’s encouragement, and she took
a few deep breaths before she climbed back onto the wooden board.

“Let’s go.”

“Are we starting again now?”

“Let’s finish all the hard work at once.”

Cordelia moderately answered, and she beckoned to him as she found it difficult to
say more, so Jude sat down on his seat again.

And just when they were about to start again…

“Jude, Jude.”

“Yes, Madam.”

It was shortly after Jude replied. Cordelia suddenly hugged Jude tightly around his
waist and said pressed her whole body on him.

“I wasn’t going to go this far, but I think we should share the pain.”

What are you talking about? Share the pain?

But Jude could no longer ask that. Because he found the answer through his body.

“Ugh.”

“Haa…”

At that moment, Jude flinched as Cordelia began to grope Jude’s body with her two
hands.

It was <Mana Drain>, one of the witch’s spells.

Although she was still not good at using it in practice, she could use it as much as she
could if her opponent did not resist.

“Oooh… good, good. You were boasting about it being pure energy, but to think it was
this clear?”

The pure energy was created from the meeting of the extreme Yin and Yang energies.

The more she fumbled over Jude’s body, the more Cordelia’s face brightened.
Conversely, Jude’s face turned dark.

“Hey, hey… I have Gueumjul-“

“Why are you still trying to use your Gueumjulmaek excuse? Ugh! Can’t you just stay
still!”

The excited Cordelia giggled and groped Jude’s body even harder, or rather, she
continued using <Mana Drain>.

But after a while, Cordelia’s face soon turned dark too. It was because the Wind’s
Wing Arrow had begun to seriously drain her mana again.

“Ugh.”

“Haa… haa…”

It was a system of Jude having his mana being taken by Cordelia, and Cordelia having
her mana being taken by the Wind’s Wing Arrow too.

Jude and Cordelia became a crazy couple that were exhausted together.

“This… this isn’t right.”

“Almost… at… the top…”

And finally, they were near the summit.

Jude and Cordelia fell down from the wooden board, naturally rolled down on the
bare ground, and were then buried in a heap of snow.

“Haa… haa… haa…”

“Ha, ugh… huu… huu…”

What the hell was Plan B for again?

“Haa… ugh… w-wake up. If we stay like this, we’ll catch a cold.”

Thanks to the Winter Protection, they didn’t feel much cold, but if they continued to
be buried in the snow while covered in sweat, they were bound to get sick somehow.

Despite his energy-drained condition, Jude got up like a zombie and then
approached Cordelia, whom he pulled up by his hand as she raised herself up.

“But we’re here.”

“We are here.”

Somehow they had reached the summit.

They were confused and didn’t understand much about it while they were in the
midst of going up, but now that they’ve come to their senses and reached the
summit, they clearly felt the energy of nature.

“Let’s start our investigation after we’re recovered our stamina around here for
now.”

Jude spoke in a low voice as he dug up the snow and gathered it in lumps to make a
resting place, while Cordelia drank about half of the mana potion and gave the
remaining half to Jude.

“Here, you too.”

“Thank you.”

Although inner Qi and mana were different, its origin itself was the same, so the
mana potion wasn’t ineffective to Jude.

After Jude swallowed the blue liquid that was as cold as ice water, he sat down next
to Cordelia and spread the blanket wide to cover himself and Cordelia together.

“<Heat>.”

They only had a few magic circles left, but now was not the time to cut back on using
them.

When Jude tore the magic circle, warm heat rose inside the blanket as it warmed the
bodies of Jude and Cordelia.

“I’m sleepy…”

Cordelia leaned over Jude and slowly closed her eyes, and Jude was not much
different either.

‘It will be fine since there’s the <Heat> magic circle.’

There was also the Winter Protection.

Jude tightly hugged Cordelia and closed his eyes too.

And after one hour, and then two hours…

When Fierce Bull’s group who were waiting in the middle of the mountain couldn’t
wait any longer, they began to go down the mountain.

A sharp and fierce cry then woke up Jude and Cordelia.

Terms used in this chapter:

Fighting (파이팅) – I forgot if I’ve already explained this, but might as well explain it
again just in case. The word ‘Fighting’ is a Korean word of support, cheer or
encouragement, much like English’s ‘go!’, ‘break a leg’, etc. It’s usually used in sports
or when there’s a difficult challenge.
Jude and Cordelia simultaneously opened their eyes, but they did not stand up right
away. Because that action would have been too noticeable.

It was clearly a calculative judgement on Jude’s part, who considered the risk of
exposure, and as for Cordelia, it was an instinctive action.

“Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!”

Once again, the cries messed up their heads. Cordelia was in pain as she tried to
cover her ears, and Jude was not much different either.

‘It’s close! But it’s beyond the wall!’

They had not immediately heard the cry, as it seemed like it came from beyond the
wall or something.

The cry that started once again did not stop.

Jude and Cordelia eventually gave up waiting for it to stop, so they began to move
while frowning.

‘Over there.’

Jude gestured with his eyes and hand before he quickly lowered his posture and
began to cautiously move, and Cordelia nodded and followed after Jude.

The two almost crawled on the floor, and then they stuck close to the rock wall
before poking their heads out to see what was going on down there.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!”

It wasn’t just a howl.

To be exact, it was a scene where an evil power was making something scream in
pain.

At a basin on the mountain.

There was a large crevice that run through the center of the relatively flat summit.

The crevice itself was wide and long, making it seem like there was a waterway on
top of the summit.

Moreover, it was not an ordinary crevice.

A blue light flickered inside the crevice, and they also felt a powerful force there.

And there was a creature screaming right next to such a crevice.

It was a huge bear.

A pure white bear that looked to be five meters tall was howling and tied to some
chains, and a purple aura surrounded the body of such a white bear.

‘Violent Avalanche.’

It was the wild god that was mentioned by Great Storm.

Jude and Cordelia’s eyes met at that time, and the two nodded to each other.

It was clear to them that it was Violent Avalanche who was howling.

And as for those who made it cry in pain.

Near the center of the crack stood a gray-haired man with a pair of big horns on his
head.

He wore a black robe and held a staff decorated with skulls. The man was reciting a
spell on a large magic circle, while several barbarian warriors were spraying blood
from a large barrel inside the crevice.

“Aaaaaaah!”
The blue light fluctuated every time the blood was sprayed around, and Violent
Avalanche also let out terrible screams.

And the violet aura increased and began to swallow Violent Avalanche. Something
wicked was also mixed in its painful howls.

“Aaaah! Aaaaaah!”

Cordelia held her breath after hearing those desperate cries, and quickly hid herself
under the rock wall. Jude also lowered himself and met Cordelia’s gaze. Amidst
Violent Avalanche’s screams, the two began to talk.

“Zarakul.”

“Executive of the Devil’s Eye.”

“He’s corrupting Violent Avalanche.”

“That ceremony being held in the crevice. I’ve seen that before.”

“Act 2, at the event that appeared at the last stage of the fight against the northern
barbarians.”

“Mineral vein? Dragon vein?”

“If we leave it as is, Violent Avalanche will be corrupted.”

“We can’t defeat Zarakul. He’s a mid-ranking demonic human. We have no way of
weakening him unlike the Tomb Guardian.”

“But we have to stop it.”

Their conversation stopped there for a moment. But it was really only for a short
time.

“Do you remember the last stage of the event?”

“You don’t say…”

“That.”
“You want to do it in reverse?”

“Let’s do it in reverse.”

“Crazy b*stard.”

Cordelia spat out a curse, but he could tell by looking at her eyes.

Cordelia also knew.

That it was the only way.

“What about the means?”

“Solari’s Holy Lance.”

“You’re really crazy.”

“So you don’t like it?”

“No, it’s good.”

If they had to do it anyway, it’s better to thoroughly do it.

“But will that really be okay?”

“We can’t help it. We have to stop them.”

It was at the moment that he spoke.

“Is there something that you can do? Then help! You have to stop them!”

They suddenly heard a third voice, and the two pointed a dagger and the Moonlight
in the direction where they heard the voice.

“Bear cub?”

It was a real bear cub.

It was a white, small, and cute bear cub.

“C-cute.”

Cordelia unconsciously said, and the bear cub then spoke with a look of urgency.

“I’m Violent Avalanche. That’s my main body over there, and this one here is my
clone that I hurriedly split from my main body.”

The two somehow had a rough idea of who the cub was. So instead of wasting time
on unnecessary talk, Jude and Cordelia directly asked the cub.

“What are they doing?”

“They’re polluting the dragon vein! They intend to pollute all the dragon veins
throughout the entire wild land, thereby depriving us wild gods of our power and
corrupting the wild land itself!”

“Dragon vein?”

“It’s a huge circular path of energy that was created by the wild gods. They are trying
to contaminate that circular path. The power of the wild gods comes from the land,
so if the dragon vein is polluted, the wild gods will also be polluted. The proof is my
main body that they are trying to corrupt now.”

Violent Avalanche rapidly spoke as he panted, and Jude and Cordelia looked at each
other again.

“Dragon vein.”

“There was a similar word that came out at that time too.”

At that time in Legend of Heroes 2, the wild land had already been corrupted and the
pollution was already over, so what the players saw was only the flow of an evil
energy that could no longer be called a dragon vein. However, the two could
understand what the cub was talking about.

“It must be stopped! It must be stopped at all costs! Although the dragon vein is vast,
they are not active in my mountain only. If they pollute several sanctuary areas, the
dragon vein will eventually be polluted.”

“Are they spraying something like wastewater on the river?”

Cordelia briefly summarized it, and Jude nodded his head.

“Violent Avalanche, we are the ones who came here after receiving a request from
Great Storm.”

“Oh! Great Storm! That brat!”

“We’ll pretend that we didn’t hear you. Moving on, we have to stop them, but the two
of us are not strong enough to do so.”

“Kuuu… I understand. That horned man is really strong. He used a lot of strange
spells to seal my strength.”

Since Zarakul was a mid-ranking demonic human, he was an overwhelming

opponent for a wild god who was not worshipped because it didn’t have a tribe that
it took care of.

“But we still have to stop him.”

“Yes, you are right. If this continues, I will also be corrupted and become their
puppet.”

As Violent Avalanche was speaking so far, the screams of its main body was heard, so
it begged Jude and Cordelia while its teeth chattered.

“You can do anything. I’ll even throw my life away if you can stop them. So please
stop them! Please!”

The cub said it with a mind that was already grasping at straws.

But at its words of ‘you can do anything,’ Jude and Cordelia’s eyes suddenly began to
shine.

“Are you saying that you’ll let us do anything?”

“Can you do something then?”

At the same time that Violent Avalanche heard his question, it felt something like an
ominous chill, but it immediately nodded.
“As a wild god, I’ll allow it! You can do anything to stop them!”

“Okay, the landlord has given us its permission.”

“I feel less uncomfortable now.”

Jude and Cordelia exchanged a mysterious conversation with eye gestures and short
words that only they could understand, and at that moment, their strategy meeting
was finished.

“I’ll say it again, but you’re crazy.”

“Do you hate it then if you said it again?”

“No, it’s good.”

Cordelia grinned as she bumped her fist on Jude’s chest and said.

“Good luck. Don’t get hurt.”

“You too.”

Jude likewise grinned before taking a deep breath. After he mentally prepared
himself, he kicked off the ground.

“Yaha-!”

First of all, he shouted loudly to gain their attention.

Even while Violent Avalanche was howling, Jude’s cry was loud enough for them to
notice his presence.

“Who the hell are you!”

Zarakul shouted some stereotypical lines as he turned to Jude, and the barbarian
warriors quickly reacted too.

They tossed the large barrel and grabbed their weapons.

Jude was satisfied with their reaction. As he landed on the ground while covered in
sacred battle aura, he used the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

“Whirlwind!”

He deliberately shouted. At the same time, the whirlwinds he created were more
than usual, thereby capturing the enemies’ gazes.

“Fierce Bull, you moron! Don’t let him interrupt the ceremony!”

After hurling an insult to Fierce Bull, Zarakul made a rough gesture, and the
barbarian warriors rushed towards Jude.

Their number was eight.

They weren’t just big, as all of them were also well-trained warriors.

The strength of each and every one of them was comparable to the knight Jun, who
was with Jude in Langesthei.

However, Jude focused on Zarakul instead of the barbarian warriors.

All that Jude had to do was to draw the attention of not only the barbarian warriors,
but also of Zarakul.

‘Believe, believe! Twenty-Four Gale Steps!’

Boom!

Jude roughly kicked the ground. He ran head-on to the barbarian warriors as he
rushed through the whirlwind.

But his purpose was neither offense nor defense.

At the gap between the barbarian warriors.

He penetrated through that gap. And passed by them like the real wind!

Shaaaaaaaa-!

Whirlwind!
Gale!

The surrounding air was shaken.

Jude’s rush was as smooth and as swift as an arrow, and he passed through the
barbarian warriors at once.

“Baaaastard!”

Zarakul responded. He attempted to attack the rushing Jude by swinging the cane he
was holding.

And Jude once again broke Zarakul’s thoughts.

Boom!

It wasn’t an attack, but the sound of his kick on the ground.

Instead of charging towards Zarakul, Jude hastily turned his body towards Violent
Avalanche, and Zarakul widely opened his eyes.

Because he realized Jude’s purpose was Violent Avalanche.

“I will not let you!”

Zarakul spurred on the ground and rushed towards Jude. His momentum was
terrifying, as he was a mid-ranking demonic human.

At that moment, Jude popped the pouch he was carrying in his arms. A terrible smell
spread throughout the place as it got carried by Jude’s whirlwinds.

“Ack!”

No matter how powerful a demonic human or even the trained warriors, they were
helpless against their sense of smell.

Zarakul and his subordinates’ movements were immediately blocked by the odor
bomb that Jude had also used on the Fury Wolf back then in the Dungeon Book.

Boom!
Jude kicked the ground again. He then ran back to the direction where he came from,
and the struggling Zarakul roared in anger as he summoned a strong wind that
swept the surrounding area. As soon as the stench was cleared, he rushed again
towards Jude.

“You slippery b*stard!”

The barbarian warriors also turned to Jude.

And Violent Avalanche was watching the entire spectacle through a gap between the
rocks, before he repeatedly stamped its feet.

“What are you doing! Why!”

Jude’s plan to awaken its main body failed.

Jude’s movements were amazing, but that was not enough to defeat Zarakul and his
subordinates.

Violent Avalanche was in tears as it turned its gaze to the side and shouted.

“Hey! You said you’ll do any… thing?”

The cub’s voice weakened at the end. Because Cordelia, who was with it just then,
had disappeared.

“N-no way?”

Did she run away? Did she abandon her lover too?

It wasn’t. At the time when Violent Avalanche was surprised and everyone’s eyes
were on Jude, Cordelia was also running.

“It’s a feint!”

As soon as Cordelia reached the magic circle that was created for the ceremony,
Zarakul quickly shouted. He hurriedly turned towards Cordelia.

“Don’t stop my ceremony!”

They tried to draw the enemies’ attention and then destroy the magic circle.

It was a reasonable deduction, but it was not the correct answer. Because what the
two rotten waters had thought of was more than that.

“Haa!”

Cordelia used the Witch Transformation and threw her body towards the magic
circle. She poured the witch’s mana into the Solari’s Holy Lance that she held in one
hand and stared at only one point.

It was at the land where the magic circle was, and not the magic circle itself.

She stared at where the dragon vein was being polluted.

At the crack in the crevice!

“No way?!”

“Stop!”

It was not only Zarakul who cried, but Violent Avalanche too.

Because of what Jude and Cordelia were trying to do.

In the last stage of Act 2’s event, the desperate Zarakul tried to die with the player
together.

He flooded the dragon vein with a strong power.

As a result, it caused a huge earthquake and destroyed the surrounding area.

It was a dragon vein.

And this was a mountain.

What would happen if a dragon vein was filled to the brim with power?

“No!”
“Stop!”

But it was too late.

Cordelia raised Solari’s Holy Lance as she filled it with the witch’s magic before she
shouted with an enraptured smile.

“Art is an explosion! F*ck bang!”

T/N: 쾅 (Kwang) can mean ‘bang’ and ‘boom’ in Korean. I wanted to use ‘boom’
because it was more of an explosion’s sound, but ‘bang’ seemed to be intentional on the
author’s part. Intentional, as in, its lewd connotation in English when you combine the
f-word with bang. I’ll continue using ‘f*ck bang!’ instead of ‘f*ck boom!’ unless you
guys/gals disagree.

She then threw the Holy Lance towards the dragon vein.

She chanted the spell and invoked Solari’s power in the Holy Spear!

Baaaaaaang!

It burst.

It exploded.

The ground shook, and Zarakul’s face turned deathly pale. Violet Avalanche also
collapsed onto the floor.

And the dragon vein was completely filled with power. The blue light fluctuated
greatly without stopping and began to shoot up to the sky.

Dozens to hundreds of small cracks spread throughout the crevice. The whole rocky
mountain shook like crazy.

“Crazy b*tch!”

That was it.

Zarakul could no longer see Cordelia. Because the rocky mountain began to collapse.
“Aaaaaah!”

“Help!”

“My mountain! My mountain!”

The last cry belonged to Violent Avalanche. While everyone was focused on Cordelia,
Jude ran like crazy and suddenly appeared on Violent Avalanche’s side as he grabbed
the back of its neck. As if he was lifting a kitten, he lifted the clone of Violent
Avalanche and climbed onto the wooden board.

“NOOOOOOOO-!”

The rocky mountain fell apart and collapsed while Violent Avalanche was screaming.

Fierce Bull’s group who was in the middle could not escape from the sudden disaster.
They couldn’t do anything as the whole rocky mountain collapsed from the summit
to the middle part.

“Aaaaaah!”

The screams of the barbarian warriors were buried in the roaring sounds.

The pollutants they used for the dragon vein were also destroyed from the explosion
of the runaway dragon vein.

Craaaash, ruuuumble, craaaaash.

The rocky mountain that was hundreds of meters in height was collapsing.

Many things disappeared in that endless roar.

The magic circle for the ceremony, the contaminated blood, Zarakul, the barbarian
warriors, and even the main body of Violent Avalanche!

“Aaah, aaaaaah…”

As Violent Avalanche let out a devastated voice, Jude stretched out his hand to the
dense cloud of dust that rose up. And there was someone who held his hand.
“Cough, cough. Fine dust is bad.”

At the moment of explosion, Cordelia had soared up to the sky with <Fly> magic.

Covered in dirt, Cordelia coughed and said that, as Jude helped her sit on the wooden
board. She then smiled.

“F*ck bang.”

“Because art is an explosion.”

“Good job, Cordelia.”

“Praise me more and more.”

As usual, the two exchanged words that only they knew and then refreshingly smiled
at each other, while Violent Avalanche shuddered in various ways at the sight of the
two exchanging smiles after the atrocity of toppling down the mountain.

And rings of pure white light rose around the bodies of Jude and Cordelia.

“Two rings?”

“Two rings.”

There were two rings of light.

One was because of the unexpectedly many people who were lying in wait to ambush
them on the mountain.

The second was because of those in the middle of the crevice.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

A terrifying roar of anger burst out beneath their feet.

Jude and Cordelia looked down, and Violent Avalanche widely opened its eyes.

Zarakul stood up as he pushed aside the big rocks. He was already in his demonized
form, and he stood tall at 3 meters and had abnormally developed muscles that
reminded them of a monster than a human.

“This, this… fiendish b*stards! What the hell did you do!”

I can’t believe that you broke down the entire mountain!

Violent Avalanche secretly agreed to Zarakul’s pent-up cry that he let out, but Jude
and Cordelia did not care about it.

Rather, they were thinking like demons.

“Doesn’t he look normal?”

“He was hurt a lot.”

“One of his horns is broken.”

“His mana got twisted when he quickly turned into his demonized form in order to
survive at the moment the mountain collapsed.”

“His injuries are severe.”

“His whole body is covered in blood.”

It was an indifferent analysis.

His power was halved, or rather, the current Zarakul’s power reduced by more than
half.

“Should we beat him up when he’s all beat up?”

“Whether he can no longer use his powers, weak, defenseless, or took hold of a
weakness or hostage, we’ll still do it.”

“Wow, you’re like a real devil.”

“Do you hate it then?”

“I love it. It’s my style.”

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other again and laughed, before they put down
Violent Avalanche on the wooden board and used <Fly> magic to land gently in front
of Zarakul.

“Let’s start the boss fight now.”

“The boss fight starts at Phase 3.”

“What?”

It was when Zarakul and Violent Avalanche were bewildered together.

Jude and Cordelia no longer spoke to each other.

The two forcibly began the boss fight.

For the overlords of hell, besides their personality and magic, they also had their
own distinct characteristics depending on their physical appearance.

Because of this, demons and demonic humans also had different physical
appearances depending on the overlords they served.

“The symbol of Asmodeus, the overlord of lust, is a beast.”

That was why Asmodeus’ followers take the form of an animal/beast.

The demonic monster that guarded the sealed witch’s soul resembled a giant gorilla,
and Saluzia, who was a high-ranking demonic human, had a deer’s antlers and the
wings of a winged animal.

“An unparalleled powerful monster. A beast that doesn’t get exhausted.”

In addition, Asmodeus, the overlord of lust, was also a swordswoman.

According to the Devil Book of the Solari denomination, which predated the
Guardians of the Holy Cross, she was the greatest swordmaster in hell.

She was an overlord with a beautiful appearance and beautiful sword movements.

Her appearance while she moved her sword was so beautiful that there were stories
about how the enemies she fought had lost their will to fight because of their lust.

“But Belial is different. You could say that he’s the exact opposite.”

Belial, the overlord of corruption.

His appearance was so terrible looking that it was difficult to describe it.

For this reason, the Devil Book referred to Belial as similar to Asmodeus, that both of
them should not be directly seen.

Because Asmodeus’ seductive beauty made her enemies go crazy with lust, while
Belial was so gruesome and disgusting that it made his enemies lose their minds the
moment they faced him.

“If Asmodeus is a beast, then Belial is an insect.”

Belial, also known as the Lord of the Flies, had an insect appearance just like his
nickname.

Therefore, his demons and demon followers also had forms close to insects when
they used his power.

“I’ll crush and trample you! I’ll make you beg me to kill you!”

As Zarakul shouted in an angry voice, his appearance rapidly changed.

His horns and huge body remained the same, but a hard shell formed all over his
skin, and his face also changed in an instant.

His eyes became that of a dragonfly’s large compound eyes, and transparent wings
that were unique to insects sprouted from his back. His mouth also turned like that
of an insect’s, making him look hideous.

‘As expected of a mid-ranking demonic human.’

Low-ranking demonic humans did not have much changes in their appearances even
in their demonized forms, but for mid-ranking demonic humans, the distinct
characteristics of their overlords were vividly revealed.

‘He’s been weakened though.’

His injuries were severe. Though his appearance had completely changed, it was not
intact.

The shell that covered his whole body was broken everywhere, and one of his leg
pairs that grew between his waist was completely missing. Judging from the way he
dragged his right leg, it seemed that he was having difficulties in walking too.
And it was at that moment. While Jude was calmly examining Zarakul’s condition,
Cordelia had a completely different thought.

‘Di-disgusting.’

She had thought that it was disgusting back when it was still a game, but it was even
more disgusting now that she had seen it in person.

She found the boss disgusting, so she honestly wanted to run away rather than to
fight. It was as if ‘that’ showed up in her room.

(T/N: ‘That’ refers to cockroach, hahaha.)

Moreover, Zarakul began doing something more gruesome.

“The Great Overlord of Corruption will punish you!”

When Zarakul loudly shouted, dozens of holes appeared all over his body. Cordelia’s
face turned pale in fright at that gruesome sight to the point where she couldn’t even
scream, and Jude instantly flinched and couldn’t move from his spot. But what
happened next was more shocking.

Chiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrr-!

Flying insects poured out from the holes in Zarakul’s body. The hundreds of insects
that poured out were so many that they made a loud noise in the air as they formed a
huge cloud of bugs.

“Go! Eat them clean!”

As Zarakul shouted in high spirits, the insect swarm that looked like flies rushed
towards Jude and Cordelia.

It didn’t matter if the insects were small, but their clearly gruesome appearance
made someone act recklessly.

Jude quickly came to his senses and as he tried to evade, he saw Cordelia. On the
other hand, Cordelia reflexively chanted a spell the moment she saw the swarm of
insects.
“<Fireball>!”

A huge fireball that contained an excessive amount of the witch’s magic rushed
towards the front. The fireball exploded the moment it collided into the insect
swarm.

Booooooom!

It was quite a big explosion. It caused some of the swarms of insects that soared and
covered the sky to disappear.

But Zarakul didn’t lose his composure.

“Hahaha! You can only do that much!”

Zarakul exclaimed. Instead of moving himself, he called out more swarms of insects.
Numerous insects emerged through the heat of the flames.

“Kyaaaa!”

Cordelia eventually screamed.

She already knew about Zarakul and thought that it would be fine if he looked a little
disgusting because she had defeated him dozens to hundreds of times in the game,
but the reality was different. There was a difference in viewpoints as she had never
encountered hundreds of bugs in real life compared to when it was just a game.

“Cordelia!”

Jude cried out. At the same time, he used Twenty-Four Gale Steps and drew closer to
Cordelia.

“Chant the spell!”

Jude yelled as he simultaneously grabbed Cordelia on her waist and carried her away
from the insect swarm. Several whirlwinds rose and created a dizzying wind, which
then shook off some of the flying insects.

‘She needs time to adapt!’

Even though he had been through all sorts of hardships, Jude found himself in a
tough spot as he couldn’t even punch those bugs, so Cordelia’s reaction was quite
understandable.

But no matter how gruesome it was, she would eventually get used to it if she kept
looking at it. So for now, he had to buy some time and focus on evading.

However, he was wrong.

He didn’t have to do that.

It wasn’t because Cordelia suddenly adapted to the reality before her eyes. She still
had a white face and was on the verge of crying.

But something else had already been triggered and overpowered her feelings of fear
and disgust.

Cordelia’s fighting instinct, which Jude himself had admired several times, had
already been triggered the moment she faced the enemy.

Flame.

Flames shot up from both of Cordelia’s hands as it reached the whirlwinds that Jude
created.

At that moment, Jude understood what Cordelia’s instinct was trying to do.

And the conclusion that she instantly reached while bypassing the process.

“I think I know what to do! Let’s do it!”

Thud!

Jude kicked the ground. As if traversing space, he distanced himself from the insect
swarm at once, and after he immediately let down Cordelia in a fairly high place, he
charged towards Zarakul.

“Come! Come here if you can!”

A purple aura rose from Zarakul’s whole body as he loudly shouted.

He was a powerful warrior before he had become an insect master.

But Jude didn’t run to him. He kept running around Zarakul, as if he was drawing a
circle with Zarakul at the center.

“Your trick is useless!”

Are you thinking of hitting my back after making me dizzy?

Zarakul mockingly laughed at Jude. Hundreds of insects swarmed and completely

covered him and his back.

But it was all according to Jude’s plan.

“Cordelia!”

Jude called out.

Cordelia responded immediately. The witch’s black flame was ignited and burned in
the air.

Hissssss-!

The flame burned.

It was a small flame.

But the wind caught it.

It was the whirlwinds that Jude had created.

The ones that began to rotate following Jude’s movement.

“Great Storm! Help me!”

Cordelia raised her arms high. And then there was a strong glow from the golden
tattoo on her left arm. She began to manipulate the flow of the whirlwinds that Jude
had already created and the new ones that he was creating too.

It was the blessing of the wind.

Swoooooooosh-!

The whirlwinds merged into one.

Those that were already rotating along a certain trajectory had merged and became
a huge whirlwind.

“More! More! More!”

Jude increased his speed. Whirlwinds continued to be created with his Twenty-Four
Gale Steps.

Thus, the whirlwinds increased and added to the huge whirlwind.

And the huge whirlwind became more and more powerful under the control of
Cordelia!

Wooooooooooooooooo!

Finally, it became a tornado.

The great tornado tore the air apart, and Zarakul’s insect swarm couldn’t properly
fly.

And the flame.

The black flame burned in the wind.

It quickly spread and became one with the wind. The tornado was reborn as a
massive fire tornado.

“Yaha!”

Jude cheerfully exclaimed as he moved away from the tornado.

He could tell. It wasn’t just Jude and Cordelia who moved. Violent Avalanche who
was high up in the sky was also adding power to the tornado.

Although Violent Avalanche had been weakened, this land was still its sanctuary.
The power of the wild god who ruled the sanctuary was added to the flames and
wind, and the fire tornado’s burning power became terrifyingly powerful.

It was impossible for Cordelia alone to create such a massive fire tornado.

Rooooooaaaar-!

The fire tornado completely trapped Zarakul. Hundreds of insects were instantly
turned into ashes, and the nearby snow melted away at once.

The released heat was so intense that it was difficult to breathe near the fire tornado.

Jude stopped running. After Cordelia saw and confirmed that Jude was at a safe
enough distance, she once again shouted with all her might.

“F*ck bang!”

The first one was an explosion.

The second one was another explosion!

The fire tornado’s swirl of flames swallowed Zarakul. The dancing black flames
choked Zarakul from all sides, as if the tornado itself squeezed him with two hands.

“Aaaaaaaaahhhh!”

Zarakul’s scream was buried by the roaring sound of the wind.

The mountain debris were sucked by the tornado and turned into fearsome blades
that ruthlessly tore and crushed Zarakul’s body.

The witch’s black flame set him on fire.

“Amazing.”

It was spectacular.

Though they were at a considerable distance, their bodies could feel the tremendous
heat.
Jude unwittingly admired it as he smiled in astonishment, while Cordelia increased
the mana she used even more, as her dark red hair fluttered like flames.

“Finish!”

Cordelia shouted as she widely stretched out her arms to the side.

At that instant, the fire tornado let out a final roar.

Baaaaangggg!

The flames exploded. After a while, the tornado disappeared, and the air fluctuated
once more as the wind blew in all directions. And the terrible heat intensely melted
all the snow on the surface.

Whoooosh!

And Zarakul’s figure was revealed.

His whole body was broken and burned to the point that his figure was
unrecognizable, and afterwards, his body literally fell apart.

As he had already suffocated from the flames, his body immediately became ashes
and scattered around.

‘You have acquired the title ‘The one who defeated a mid-ranking demonic human.’
When fighting against demonic humans, all stats are increased by 1%.’

A voice came into their heads. At the same time, rings of light surrounded the bodies
of Jude and Cordelia.

There were three for Jude and four for Cordelia.

“Haa.”

Cordelia’s shoulders drooped as she let out a sigh. Her nose then bled, and both of
her legs weakened.

“Ah.”
But Cordelia did not fall to the ground.

Instead of falling to the ground, she found herself on Jude’s arms, who had suddenly
rushed to her side.

“You worked hard, my princess.”

“Our… combo… was good…”

Cordelia raised her thumb as she buried herself in Jude’s arms, and Jude fixed her
position as he carried her in his arms before he looked up at the sky.

He smiled towards Violent Avalanche who was looking down from the wooden
board.

***

“You can be at ease now. They have been punished for destroying the sanctuary.”

“You’re the ones who destroyed the sanctuary! You two!”

The battle was over.

Not only did they defeat the wicked mid-ranking demonic human Zarakul, who tried
to contaminate the dragon vein, but they also defeated all of the Angry Bull’s
corrupted warriors that Zarakul led.

After receiving some medical treatment, Cordelia said with a beautiful smile.

“You can be at ease now. They were punished for destroying the sanctuary.”

“You’re the ones who destroyed the sanctuary! You two!”

“Sheesh.”

It didn’t work.

Cordelia clicked her tongue and pouted her lips, and Jude spoke with a business
smile.

“Violent Avalanche, the situation was so urgent that we couldn’t help it. Although the
sanctuary was partially damaged, we defeated the enemy and protected the dragon
vein.”

“Partially? Is this partially?!”

“The mountain has not completely collapsed.”

Cordelia lightly said, and Violent Avalanche held the back of his neck and then
staggered.

It was a dainty bear cub, so even though it had that reaction, it still looked cute.

“Uh… uh… my blood pressure… fortunately, it’s a rocky mountain.”

If it had been an ordinary mountain, countless animals would have died when the
mountain collapsed.

Jude then approached such a Violent Avalanche and said in a friendly manner.

“Regardless, we defeated those guys.”

“That’s right, we defeated them and saved Violent Avalanche and the sanctuary.”

Jude and Cordelia said in succession, and Violent Avalanche knit its brows. Because it
couldn’t somehow understand their suggestive words.

“We defeated not only the mid-ranking demonic human, but also the fallen barbarian
warriors.”

“Jude is right. If not for us, the dragon vein would have been polluted. And you would
have been corrupted too. Ah… just imagine it, wouldn’t it have been terrible if that
happened?”

They were silently pressuring Violent Avalanche.

No, they were pressuring Violent Avalanche with ‘gentle words.’

Violent Avalanche involuntarily stepped back as the good-looking couple came

closer, or rather, it finally realized what the two were asking for.

“Are you… asking for a reward?”

“Reward… rather than that… isn’t it reasonable for us to be compensated?”

“Give and take!”

“Great Storm was a wild god who properly compensated us.”

“That’s right, that’s right. He gave us this and that.”

Cordelia gently tapped the Wind’s Wing Arrow, and then pointed to the tattoo on her
left arm.

Then Violent Avalanche grumbled as it tried to resist.

“The mountain… collapsed.”

“The mountain has not completely collapsed.”

“It was a necessary sacrifice. Everyone will remember this noble sacrifice.”

The ‘everyone’ that they referred to were Jude, Cordelia, and Violent Avalanche who
were present here, but Violent Avalanche had a feeling that perhaps it was only
referring to Violent Avalanche itself.

“Haa… I can’t help it.”

In any case, it was true that without Jude and Cordelia, the dragon veins would have
been contaminated, and Violent Avalanche itself would have been corrupted.

It was natural to give them a reward, since they were Violent Avalanche’s
benefactors who saved more than its life.

“But children, I lost my main body, and the sanctuary has been destroyed. The
dragon vein had indeed avoided contamination, but I greatly suffered.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Cordelia said as if she sympathized with him, and Violent Avalanche clicked his
tongue this time.

And Jude thought.

‘As expected, the divine items remained safe.’

Just as how Great Storm had the Wind’s Wing Arrow, Violent Avalanche also
possessed some divine items.

As Jude had expected, Violent Avalanche plopped down on the ground, and began to
talk as it looked at Cordelia.

“Because I do not have a tribe that I look after, I do not have any divine items that are
good for human use like that Great Storm brat. I don’t have items like weapons or
armor.”
“I understand.”

The reason why Great Storm created a divine item like the Wind’s Wing Arrow was
to give it to the Great Storm tribe, and not to use it for himself.

So it would be strange if Violent Avalanche, who did not care for any tribe, had
weapons or armor that were suitable for human use.

“So I’ll give you this.”

The sitting Violent Avalanche dug a little on the ground, and a large blue gem
suddenly appeared.

“This is…”

“Freezing stone!”

“Wow! That came from here?”

Freezing Stone.

It was a beautiful gem made by combining mana and the cold Yin energy.

But it wasn’t just beautiful.

Because the freezing stone stored ‘Frozen Time’ inside it.

‘In other words, it is one of the main ingredients for the Ancestral Regression
technique.’

It was an ingredient that could only be obtained after a lot of hard work, so they
were really lucky to obtain it here.

“You’re lucky.”

Jude nodded his head, while Cordelia giggled and hugged to her chest the freezing
stone that Violent Avalanche gave them.

“It’s pretty. Thank you, Violent Avalanche.”

“Well… I’m glad that you like it.”

After all, Cordelia was really pretty.

Although she didn’t wear make-up because they had slept outside and traveled for
several days, Cordelia’s cheerful smile still resembled that of a goddess.

Of course, since Violent Avalanche was a bear, its aesthetic perception was somehow
different from humans, but Violent Avalanche was the kind of being that would
marvel at the sunset that heralds the night and be captivated by the glorious dawn in
the morning.

Violent Avalanche warmly smiled and shrugged its shoulders, and Jude smiled too,
before he stepped forward and said.

“I think we should discuss about the next thing now. You said that they were trying
to pollute the dragon vein, but could you please elaborate about that a little more?”

“Of course. It’s a really big crisis. It’s a problem that all wild gods… no, all living
beings in the wild land must deal with together!”

Violent Avalanche strongly shouted as it jumped from its spot, and Jude nodded. He
then faced Violent Avalanche with a serious expression and said.

“The Angry Bull tribe is believed to have been corrupted. It seems that a demonic
human from a group of demon followers called Devil’s Eye was behind it.”

“Wait, how did you know that?”

Violent Avalanche roughly knew about demon followers, but it didn’t know about
which tribe or group they belonged to, so it widely opened its eyes and asked. Jude
then briefly introduced their history.

“We came to the wild lands at the request of the Guardians of the Holy Cross.
Because they received information that the Devil’s Eye were showing signs of
disturbing movements. Furthermore, the witch’s soul and the Fairy Queen warned us
about the threat in the north.”

“Ohhh…”
In reality, Violent Avalanche did not know much about the Guardians of the Holy
Cross. It also knew very little about the witch’s soul and the Fairy Queen.

But that was also why Violent Avalanche felt reassured. Just as an unknown threat
came, an unknown help also came.

And Cordelia thought.

‘Wow… as expected of a scammer.’

When they were inside the border, he eagerly used the wild god’s name, and as soon
as they crossed the border, he used the name of the witch’s soul and the southern
organizations this time.

‘I think he’ll succeed even if he tried to sell umbrellas in the desert.’

Cordelia really thought that it would be possible if it was Jude, so she unconsciously
let out a laugh.

‘Because he’s my Jude.’

She felt that he was reliable.

And at that same time.

When Cordelia was smiling while watching Jude having a serious conversation with
Violent Avalanche.

A similar situation was occurring near the border.

***

“The Great Wall is, as its name implies, a great wall. It is so huge that it cannot be
fully monitored.”

Furthermore, the Great Wall wasn’t built in a straight line on a flat ground, as if one
was drawing a line on a map.

In reality, the terrain was complicated.

There were mountains and valleys everywhere, and even in places where there were
no rivers and forests, the ground was rugged.

Thus, the Great Wall was built in a form that conformed with the natural terrain, so it
was natural that the wall had several blind spots.

“In the end, people are needed to guard the wall. That way, they can easily notice a
massive invasion before it reaches the wall. However, watching over the entire wall is
almost impossible in the first place because only a few people are guarding it.”

It wasn’t just the words of anyone else, but were the words of Count Bayer’s
successor, whose family held the margrave position in the past for many years.

‘He is… reliable!’

It was not just because of his family’s origins.

The moment he found out that Jude and Cordelia had crossed the border, Gael’s
attitude regarding this matter changed.

It wasn’t because he was not serious about this matter before.

He was already serious about it, but up until now, Gael had been following Adelia
rather than taking the lead.

But it was different now. He was taking the initiative and trying to resolve the
situation.

‘He looks like an expert.’

Gael’s explanation about the Great Wall and the Jackdaws made him look like an
expert.

Perhaps that’s the reason why Gael appeared to be strikingly handsome than before.

‘He was handsome in the first place though.’

She didn’t like Jude’s personality or any other side of his, but Adelia at least admitted
that he had a beautiful face.
‘He looks too weak though.’

Nevertheless, the expression of ‘good-looking’ perfectly suited Jude.

Gael was Jude’s older brother, and the brothers were alike each other.

However, Gael was the very picture of health itself. Moreover, he was a master of the
sword, and was regarded by everyone to have inherited the title of Great
Swordmaster from Count Bayer, one of the ten great swordmasters.

In addition to having a strong physique, he had an appearance that resembled Jude

but minus the weakness, so it was unavoidable for him not to look handsome.

‘No, this isn’t the time for this.’

This wasn’t the time for her to evaluate Gael’s appearance.

After all, Gael was now explaining how to cross the border with a very serious face.

“I apologize, but we have to abandon our horses.”

“It can’t be helped.”

If someone else had said it, Adelia would have argued about finding another way
instead of abandoning the horses, but now, she unconsciously nodded her head.

Because Gael’s words were reliable!

‘If this man said so, it must be true then.’

At Adelia’s reply, Gael was somehow a little surprised, but he soon had a small smile
and said.

“It’s going to be quite a difficult journey.”

“The journey has been tough even up to now. You do know how many days we’ve
been running on horseback, right?”

“I do know.”
Ever since they left home, they had been running on horseback every day until they
had reached this place.

Running on horseback was a lot harder than most people think.

It was severely physically exhausting, and it was seriously painful on the buttocks
and thighs.

But the two had run every day for more than 10 days.

It was a forced march of such difficulty that it would make most ordinary knights cry.

‘However… ’

Gael unconsciously looked at Adelia.

They had come this far but she had never once said that it was difficult.

It wasn’t because it was easy.

It was hard.

Gael himself found it difficult, so it would be more serious for Adelia who’s a wizard
and a woman too.

But she never once said that it was hard.

She had a strong will.

She endured the hardships in order to fulfill their mission.

‘It’s the first time.’

It was the first time that he met a noble lady like her.

Of course, he had met a few knights with a similar disposition, but Adelia was first
and foremost a wizard.

There was a difference from those who had trained to become knights since their
childhood.
‘Beautiful.’

He had first thought that she was fierce, but she somehow looked different now.

She was like a sparkling gem who held a strong will.

Even though she was always frowning, Adelia was still a very beautiful woman.

Just as Gael was Jude’s brother, Adelia was Cordelia’s older sister.

“Gael?”

Adelia asked Gael at that moment as she looked up at him. It was natural for her to
do so, since the height difference between the two was close to 20 centimeters.

But in that instant, Gael unconsciously averted his gaze. Because his heart was
beating a little fast.

‘How long has it been?’

The reason why Gael himself had not been married even when he was in his late
twenties.

He had lied to others, saying that he had a lady in his heart, but in fact, there was a
real reason.

Count Bayer also knew of the reason, so he didn’t pressure Gael into getting married.

“Gael? Are you sick?”

“No, it’s not. It’s just a little fever.”

Gael lightly answered, as he shook his head and got rid of his thoughts.

What was important now was to catch up to Jude and Cordelia. He only had to think
about that for now.

“I don’t know much about the land of the barbarians. So I will trust in Lady Adelia’s
decision in the future.”
He was referring to the tracking magic in Count Chase’s ring.

Adelia nodded her head and said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely get the job done. And…”

“And?”

“If it’s the sword of Lord Gael, I’m sure it would be reliable even in the land of the
barbarians.”

Adelia quickly spoke, and at that moment, the two were simultaneously a little
embarrassed.

Gael was surprised when he heard Adelia’s words.

He would, of course, since his heart had always been pounding ever since he met
Adelia.

“It’s an honor for me to receive your trust. I shall do my utmost best to protect Lady
Adelia.”

“Let’s go quickly.”

Adelia hurriedly turned her eyes, as she somehow found it difficult to gaze at Gael’s
bright smile, and Gael stepped forward full of confidence as he had always been.

And at that same time, in a place that was far down in the south…

“Uh… what? Didn’t it go well at first?”

Inside Count Chase’s study.

A handsome young man with long platinum hair stood in front of his father after a
long time. He was Edward Chase, Count Chase’s eldest son and heir. After Edward
said that, Count Chase knit his brows.

“Isn’t that good for her?”

“No… I must meet them first if it’s Adelia.”

Adelia was the best among the three siblings when it came to their talent for magic.

But maybe because of that, or maybe because she resembled her father the most
among the three, she has never had a relationship with the opposite sex since her
childhood.

Such a thing as eloping was something that Adelia wouldn’t likely do, but if she had
indeed did that, shouldn’t they welcome it with open arms then?

‘There’s no problem if the other person is Gael.’

He was handsome and competent, he came from a good family, and he also had a
nice personality.

He was certainly perfect. In Edward’s personal opinion, he honestly found Gael to be

too good when compared to Adelia.

‘Of course, that is if the two really eloped.’

Contrary to the concerns of Count Chase and Count Bayer, Edward perceived Gael
and Adelia’s loss of contact to be different in nature compared to their youngest
siblings.

‘There must be a reason.’

Although she was bold, or rather, even aggressive, he thought that Adelia wasn’t a
child who would do things without thinking.

Moreover, she was even with the prudent Gael, so if they had cut off their contact,
there must have been a reason that they did that, and not because it was an
elopement or something similar.

“Whatever it is, we can’t just leave it as is.”

Gael and Adelia had gone missing after Jude and Cordelia.

The rumors in high society was only a secondary problem.

The most important thing was to secure the safety of the two ‘couples.’
“Gael and Adelia should be all right. The problem would be Jude and Cordelia.”

Some people have already evaluated Gael’s sword skills as close to the level of the
ten great swordmasters.

In addition, Adelia was one of the heads of the Royal Guard Magic Corps, so it was
highly unlikely that the two would be in danger.

But Jude and Cordelia’s situation was different.

They had to secure the safety of the two as soon as possible.

“Should I set off too? Count Bayer doesn’t have a daughter, so you won’t be losing
your contact with me.”

At Edward’s joking words, Count Chase shook his head.

“I’ve already prepared for the chase. You focus on training. I’ve said that it’s very
important, but it’s also important for you to reach the next circle.”

“I understand.”

Edward obediently accepted his words and bowed before he tried to go out.

But it was at that moment.

“By the way, Edward.”

“Yes, father.”

“Did you not get along with that Gael fellow when you were a kid?”

“We’re still relatively close these days.”

Edward had few people whom he could call as friends, and Gael was one of the first
among them, whom he could count as a friend.

“I see. Then do you know what Gael likes?”

“Eh?”
“I’m saying this just in case. So that we’ll be prepared for any situation.”

Edward quietly stared at his father speaking with a stern face, and then frowned.
However, he didn’t think of this situation too deeply as he always did.

At Count Chase’s request, Edward began talking about the things that Gael preferred.
“I’ll explain what the dragon vein is first.”

Having heard about the story of the Guardians of the Holy Cross and the witch’s soul,
Violent Avalanche had a face like that of a seasoned veteran.

Violent Avalanche had been worried on what to do given its very desperate situation,
but unexpectedly, a helping hand came and relieved its worries.

“First of all, you two should sit down. It’s going to be a long story.”

Violent Avalanche tapped on the spot next to it, before it slightly wriggled its butt to
move into a more comfortable sitting position.

Cordelia sat next to Violent Avalanche who was like a teddy bear, while Jude sat
opposite them.

“The dragon vein is a stream of divine power that flows throughout the entire wild
land.”

“Does the dragon vein exist only in the wild lands?”

Violent Avalanche nodded at Cordelia’s question.

“Yes. The truth is… the dragon vein was originally called the ley line, and these ley
lines were spread out all over the entire continent… or rather, throughout the entire
planet. However, the wild gods used their powers on a portion of these ley lines for
quite some time to create what we call the dragon vein now.”

In short, they removed some of the original infrastructure and upgraded it.

Cordelia asked again.

“Is the dragon vein something like the wild gods’ source of power?”
“Not entirely. However… it is true that us wild gods have our strength increased
when we are near the dragon vein. The land where the dragon veins flow is what we
call our sanctuary, and when we leave our sanctuary, we lose our connection with
the dragon vein, and our strength also weakens.”

“Uh… does that mean that it’s difficult for the wild gods if they lose the dragon vein?”

“It’s not completely difficult. It’s completely difficult… but there are also some strong
wild gods who do not completely rely on the dragon vein…”

But from the way Violent Avalanche spoke, it seemed like Violent Avalanche
belonged to the group of wild gods who found it difficult if they lost their connection
with the dragon vein.

“The dragon vein is extremely important then.”

“Yes. I’m not trying to brag, but the reason why everyone can live in the wild lands is
because of the sanctuary’s existence that us wild gods look after. But if the dragon
vein is destroyed, the sanctuary is also destroyed, and the wild lands will eventually
become a land of death.”

Jude nodded his head.

In fact, the wild lands that appeared in the game was a barren land that was
uninhabitable for any living beings.

“But I think they’re trying to do something worse.”

“They’re not turning it into a land of death?”

“Yes, they tried to contaminate the dragon vein. Rather than destroying it… it seemed
like they were trying to use the dragon vein for something bad.”

“You’re right, come to think of it, you’ve said it before, right? If the dragon vein is
contaminated and corrupted, you’ll also be corrupted.”

At Cordelia’s words, Violent Avalanche nodded with a gloomy face.

And in the midst of this serious talk, Jude looked at Cordelia, as if he found her
talking to be something unexpected.
Cordelia would usually be silent when Jude was talking to someone else because she
didn’t know much about their discussion, but now, she was listening to the
conversation and even responding well to it.

Her skill to naturally lead the conversation was also good.

‘It doesn’t seem like she’s thinking about it.’

She was just doing it naturally.

‘In fact, I’ve been talking more ever since I met her too.’

Remembering when he first began playing Legend of Heroes 2, Jude was almost
preoccupied with his past memories for a while, but he soon shook his head and
dismissed his thoughts.

Their conversation with Violent Avalanche was more important than his current
thoughts now.

“As they polluted the dragon vein, I also began feeling strange. I desperately
resisted… and if you two hadn’t come, I would’ve definitely lost my reason and
become a crazy monster.”

Violent Avalanche shook its head as if just imagining it was horrible.

Cordelia stroked Violent Avalanche’s back as she looked at Jude.

‘You have a rough idea about it, right?’

‘Yes, I think I know what happened.’

After he roughly matched the story in Legend of Heroes 2 and in their current
situation, he arrived at a conclusion.

What Zarakul poured into the dragon vein was Belial’s blood.

Of course, it wasn’t literally Belial’s blood, but the sacrifices’ blood that was infused
with Belial’s power through a special ceremony.

“Violent Avalanche, it seems that they’re intending to corrupt the entire wild lands
by corrupting the dragon vein and the wild gods.”

At Jude’s words, Violent Avalanche shuddered.

“Indeed, it’s a horrible situation. They must be stopped.”

“Yes, they must be stopped. And in order to that, Violent Avalanche’s help is
absolutely necessary.”

“My help?”

“Yes, that’s right. We really need your help!”

Violent Avalanche was embarrassed for a moment when Cordelia pleaded in an

earnest tone, but it soon sprang up from its seat and said.

“Okay! I will do what I can!”

“Thank you very much!”

Cordelia responded again and then turned to Jude.

‘But what kind of help are you going to ask?’

‘Um… the person near the ink will become black.’

She had impulsively scammed Violent Avalanche.

Jude felt guilty for a while because he felt like he had led the innocent Cordelia
astray, but he soon focused on Violent Avalanche and said.

“The demon followers have already corrupted the Angry Bull tribe and made them
their subordinates. Therefore, we need to isolate the Angry Bull tribe.”

“The Angry Bull tribe? They are one of the largest and strongest tribes in the wild
land.”

“Yes, so we have to stop them now. You could say that this current situation alone has
revealed the plot of these guys.”
“Plot?”

“Yes, they’re not only plotting to corrupt the dragon vein. They’re also trying to
corrupt the sanctuaries and the wild gods, and even the tribes that live in the wild
land.”

“What?!”

“The dragon veins are contaminated, and the sanctuaries are destroyed. Because of
that, the tribes will find it difficult to live here. However, even the wild gods whom
they have believed and depended on until now are also in a strange situation. The
minds of the tribes’ people, who will have no place to lean on, will be weakened, and
the enemies will penetrate through those weakened gaps. They will incorporate the
tribes into the Angry Bull tribe that is already under the control of the demon
followers and turn the entire wild land into a den of demons!”

“Oh-oh my gosh! That’s evil. Those bastards are truly evil!”

Violent Avalanche trembled as it found that situation scary.

Jude then said as he grabbed the small and round shoulders of such Violent
Avalanche.

“Yes, so they must be stopped. We must tell the truth to each tribe in the wild land
and then isolate the Angry Bull tribe.”

The reason why the Angry Bull tribe invaded the northern part of the Salen Kingdom
was because they unified the wild land.

Therefore, the two had to prevent them from completely unifying the wild land.

Or rather, the two had to isolate them.

“How should I do it? What should I do?”

“You must go the Great Storm tribe first and tell them the truth. Everyone will listen
because it’s a wild god’s words and not anyone else.”

“Uhh… so I have to leave my sanctuary then?”

Although it had collapsed, more than half of the rocky mountain was still left.

Despite that, it was still Violent Avalanche’s sanctuary.

“Violent Avalanche, this is a very serious situation. You’re the only whom we can
trust and rely on right now.”

Cordelia spoke in a serious tone with tears in her eyes, and Violent Avalanche
groaned as it found that to be difficult to do.

It was a slightly better situation for the wild god to leave and abandon their
sanctuary, which is the source of their power, than to ignore the situation and die.

“What if someone else occupies this mountain while I’m gone?”

At Violent Avalanche’s hesitation, Cordelia clasped its hands and said.

“It’s okay, we’ll help you if a thief takes over your land. We’ll drive the thief away and
get your mountain back together.”

“Yes, Great Storm will also help you.”

If Great Storm was here, he would have said ‘Why should I?’, but he wasn’t here, so he
wouldn’t have the chance to say that.

“Uhhhhh… I see. I’ll do it. I will go to the Great Storm tribe and inform them of the
Angry Bull tribe’s evil plot!”

“You’re so cool. Violent Avalanche is the best!”

Cordelia tightly hug Violent Avalanche, and Violent Avalanche bashfully smiled.

“Hmm… hmmm…”

No, Violent Avalanche didn’t openly smile, but it was obvious that it liked Cordelia’s
actions.

‘Because a beautiful woman is a treasure of the world.’

Jude giggled, before he immediately brought out the next topic.

“Violent Avalanche, do you know where the Great Storm tribe lives?”

“I know it roughly. But not where that Great Storm brat lives.”

“That’s a relief. I wish you a quick and safe journey.”

“Yes, thank you… wait. You wish me? Aren’t we going together?”

When Violent Avalanche widely opened its eyes and asked, Cordelia also looked at
Jude.

Jude said as he nodded his head.

“Yes, I’m sorry to say this, but I think it’s better if you go alone to the Great Storm
tribe.”

“Then, what about you two?”

“We intend to stop their plot. Violent Avalanche, do you know other wild gods’
sanctuaries that are connected to the dragon vein here? Excluding Great Storm.”

“That… Gentle Snow Breeze’s sanctuary can be found northeast of the basin here.”

“We’re thinking of going there. If they’re really trying to corrupt the entire dragon
vein, the other sanctuaries are also in danger.”

What he said made sense.

Moreover, Jude and Cordelia had one more reason to move.

‘Lena.’

They had to reach the place where Lena’s death event took place. Although they still
had time to spare, it wasn’t wasteful to have too much time.

‘It takes about two days to return to the Great Storm tribe.’

A round trip would take about four days.

Cordelia roughly guessed Jude’s thoughts and asked with a glance.

‘Will it be okay?’

‘It will be okay. We didn’t encounter any danger while on our way here.’

Furthermore, Violent Avalanche was a wild god despite being weakened. Violent
Avalanche would surely be able to find the sanctuary of another wild god.

“Violent Avalanche, please.”

“Ummm… I understand. I will go to the Great Storm tribe alone.”

Violent Avalanche nodded as it made up its mind, and Jude bowed again before he
asked.

“Can you tell me more about the location of Gentle Snow Breeze’s sanctuary?”

“No problem. I have a map that I kept in the past.”

Violent Avalanche sat on the ground again and dug the ground, and suddenly, a map
appeared from the ground.

Like the Freezing Stone earlier, it seemed to be Violent Avalanche’s magic skill.

“Here, take it.”

“Thank you.”

Their conversation was over.

They had no time to waste because they had to save the wild land.

“I’ll be going then.”

“Yes, I look forward to seeing you again later.”

“I’ll see you later.”

Violent Avalanche waved its hand to the polite Jude and Cordelia who waved her
hand too, before it quickly began to descend the rocky mountain.
Cordelia spoke after looking at the back of such Violent Avalanche for quite some
time.

“Will Violent Avalanche be okay?”

“Violent Avalanche will be okay… wait, you don’t have a good feeling?”

Jude trusted Cordelia’s intuition.

Jude asked in a panic as he thought that it was more serious than he had thought, but
Cordelia pondered for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders.

“No, it’s not to the point where I have a bad feeling. I’m just worried.”

“Violent Avalanche will be fine then. Even if Violent Avalanche looks like that, it is an
old wild god who has lived for hundreds of years.”

The relieved Jude asked Cordelia again.

“Well then, let’s just rest here for today and leave in the early morning tomorrow.”

“Yes, but I really want to wash myself a little. Is there anything like a hot spring
here?”

“Uh… how about gathering the snow together and melting it with a fireball? If it feels
like the water is cooling down, then add another fireball in.”

At Jude’s words, Cordelia widely opened her eyes and soon clenched her fists as she
snorted.

“It is… possible!”

It was not something that couldn’t be done.

Cordelia would do more than that just for a bath.

“Yes, anyway, let’s find a place where we will sleep first. We also have to eat
something.”

“Okay, I’m hungry.”

“I’ll cook the meal right away as soon as we find the right place.”

“Is it beef jerky boiled in hot water again?”

“My princess, didn’t I say that you shouldn’t be picky?”

“No, f*ck. I’m a picky eater, so try increasing the number of side dishes, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

“Eh, really?”

Cordelia asked as she blinked her eyes, and Jude nodded once before he began taking
the lead.

Both of them had a hard time today, so he thought that having something special
from the little food they saved would be fine.

‘Hmm, good. We can go like this.’

Jude looked back towards Violent Avalanche’s direction before he hurriedly moved
forward again.

Terms used in this chapter:

The person near the ink will become black – a Korean idiom which means that if
you are close/get along with bad friends, you will likely become bad like them. In
short, a good person will become bad if they hang around with bad people. It is
slightly similar to ‘one rotten apple spoils the barrel,’ but in this idiom’s case, the
subject is the already bad person who turns good people into doing bad too.
There were more than a dozen tribes in the wild land, of which, four tribes were
particularly strong.

The Angry Bull tribe was made up of powerful warriors.

The Great Storm tribe lived with the wind and pursued harmony with nature.

The Silent Wolf tribe produced outstanding hunters for generations.

The Red Moon tribe was a tribe of shamans full of mystery.

Among the four tribes, the Angry Bull tribe had been expanding in recent years.

By subduing and uniting the surrounding tribes with force, the power of the tribe
had doubled, even though it had only been a few months since their expansion
began.

“For the Angry Bull tribe!”

“For the Great Chief Seven Horns!”

The tribes living in the wild lands had their own wild gods, but not all of the wild
gods were strong enough to build their own sanctuary.

Moreover, Angry Bull, the wild god of the Angry Bull tribe, was one of the most
powerful gods among the wild gods.

However, the wild god in this village was someone who did not properly build a
sanctuary, so there was no way for her to resist the enemies.

“Ah! My children! My children!”

A wild god in the form of a girl with small horns on her head, cried out as she saw
the burning village, but it was already useless.

Now that most of her power had already been sealed, she was no better than an
ordinary girl.

“Divine punishment will befall you! The Golden Dragon King will punish you!”

“Noisy!”

“Ah!”

Sharp Horn, a warrior of the Angry Bull tribe, kicked the enraged wild god and didn’t
stop there. He violently grabbed the girl’s golden hair to lift her head, and then
swung his fist that was bigger than the girl’s face several times.

“Ugh… aa…”

The wild god girl couldn’t even scream in front of the brutal violence that she faced,
and eventually, Sharp Horn kicked the girl and told the warriors around him.

“Take her away! Make her aware of the situation!”

“We understand.”

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe had already been corrupted. For them who had
forgotten their respect for the wild gods, the girl in front of them was not a being
they should worship and respect, but just a toy that they could play with as they
please.

As his subordinates dragged the wild god girl away, Sharp Horn wiped the blood off
his hands, and headed to the place where a large flag was erected in the middle of
their main camp.

It was to seek an audience to the powerful being who sealed the power of the wild
god itself.

“We captured the wild god and killed the chieftain. As you had instructed, the
warriors are capturing everyone alive, even if they are injured.”

Inside the large tent made of animal skin, Sharp Horn sat down on both knees and
paid homage.

“I see, you did well. Sharp Horn. You didn’t disappoint me again.”

“It is all thanks to Haraken.”

In a gracious voice, Sharp Horn bowed his head again in courtesy.

Ever since the appearance of the being in front of him – the prophet Haraken, the
Angry Bull tribe had changed.

They had become much more powerful and richer as a result of their continuous war
of conquest.

And the same went for Sharp Horn who had changed a lot too.

Originally, Sharp Horn wasn’t a very strong warrior. Because he was born with a
weak body.

But Haraken changed everything.

He made the body of Sharp Horn to be big and strong, and also made Sharp Horn
into one of the most powerful warriors in the Angry Bull tribe.

Therefore, Sharp Horn deeply respected Haraken.

He considered as the truth the story of Haraken about the wild gods being false gods
– that they were just beasts with a little strong power.

“You may go. We’ll have to leave for a new land tomorrow.”

“Yes, Master Haraken. Please make yourself comfortable.”

Sharp Horn bowed his head again and politely left, and Haraken, who was finally
alone, frowned.

‘How bothersome.’

He wasn’t talking about Sharp Horn.

Haraken was satisfied with Sharp Horn’s loyalty.

To begin with, he deliberately made the weak to be powerful in order to elicit a sense
of loyalty to him like Sharp Horn did just now.

What touched his nerves was the sad news that he heard from far away.

‘Zarakul.’

He lost his connection with the mid-ranking demonic human of the Devil’s Eye.

It was obvious then that Zarakul was dead.

‘What happened?’

Haraken had the appearance of an old man who grew a long and white beard, but
this wasn’t his true appearance in the first place.

He thought as his compound eyes, where a human’s eyes should be, blinked.

Violent Avalanche’s sanctuary.

Violent Avalanche wasn’t as weak as the wild god of the tribe that they had captured
today.

It didn’t have a tribe that it looked after, so no one worshipped Violent Avalanche,
but at the same time, it didn’t necessarily mean that Violent Avalanche’s power was
weak.

Despite living alone, Violent Avalanche wasn’t weak.

Rather, it was one of the wild gods on the strong side.

However, Haraken never thought that Zarakul would fail.

Because he gave Zarakul a group of powerful warriors who would remain after they
subdued Violent Avalanche.

But what happened?

Who killed Zarakul?

It wasn’t Violent Avalanche.

If Violent Avalanche was the culprit, Zarakul’s death would have been much faster.

It was someone else.

Someone else had killed Zarakul, who had gone to corrupt Violent Avalanche.

“Red Gale.”

The strongest warrior of the Great Storm tribe.

But Haraken soon shook his head.

He clearly put Red Gale under the Curse of the Blue Spider Lily.

‘The closest one to him is Madgar.’

Madgar was a mid-ranking demonic human who attacked Gentle Snow Breeze, a
powerful wild god.

In fact, both Violent Avalanche and Gentle Snow Breeze were wild gods who lived far
away from the home of the Angry Bull tribe, but the reason they took the trouble of
attacking the two was because of the Great Storm tribe.

They planned to corrupt the nearby wild gods and then isolate the Great Storm tribe.

They needed to suppress the Great Storm tribe’s power, so that they couldn’t hinder
the Angry Bull tribe’s actions.

‘For now, I’ll leave it to Madgar. I must unify the northeast region of the wild lands
first.’

The Angry Bull tribe was located in the northeast region, and likewise, the Silent
Wolf tribe was located in the northeast too. They needed to subdue that tribe too, so
that they could advance towards their final goal.

‘To pollute the dragon vein and corrupt the wild gods. And even turn the Golden
Dragon King as our slave.’

The Golden Dragon King was the king of the wild gods.

Haraken organized his thoughts and then took out a crystal ball. He infused a large
amount of mana on it in order to deliver his message to Madgar who was located far
away from him.

***

Three days after leaving the rocky mountain.

Violent Avalanche would have originally arrived at the Great Storm tribe’s village at
that time, but it still hadn’t arrived there.

The reason was simple.

“Sob, sob! Where the hell am I!”

After it descended from the rocky mountain, Violent Avalanche went straight
towards the direction that Jude had told it.

It had visited the Great Storm tribe once, though it may be a long time ago, so Violent
Avalanche followed his memory of the way to get there.

A day had passed.

There was nothing but snow everywhere.

Violent Avalanche didn’t care much about it.

This area was originally only a snowfield.

If Violent Avalanche went straight ahead, it would eventually reach the village of the
Great Storm tribe.

Has Great Storm grown up a lot?

Violent Avalanche warmly smiled as it recalled a little brat, and afterwards, it

continued walking.
A day passed by again.

There was still nothing but snow everywhere, and Violent Avalanche began to feel a
little nervous.

“Strange.”

I should have arrived at this point.

Great Storm would have come to meet me.

Even the Great Storm tribe children would have come.

T/N: The children referred here is not literally kids/children. The wild gods referred to
the tribes/humans as children, so Violent Avalanche was referring to the Great Storm
tribe as children.

“Are they busy?”

In fact, there was one more reason that was more likely than them being busy, but
Violent Avalanche tried to ignore it and continued walking.

And a day passed by again.

At the present.

“Uwaaa! Where is this place! Where am I!”

It was only today that Violent Avalanche, who had been living in the rocky mountains
for hundreds of years, finally realized.

The fact that Violent Avalanche itself was bad at directions.

“What do I do, what should I do?”

It was a body clone, and not its main body.

Moreover, Violent Avalanche was weak before it left its sanctuary, so its divine power
was even more weak now that it has left its sanctuary.
If Violent Avalanche had its main body, it would be able to fly with his magic power
or contact Great Storm. And even if it can’t do that, Violent Avalanche would still be
able to detect the presence of Great Storm and follow that direction. But that was all
impossible for the current Violent Avalanche.

The Violent Avalanche now was just a talking bear cub, and it was a very far
existence from the great wild god it once was in the past.

“Uhh… I’m hungry. Hungry after hundreds of years.”

Actually, Violent Avalanche had been hungry for the past two days.

When Violent Avalanche was in its sanctuary, breathing alone was enough to sate its
hunger, but now that it had left its sanctuary, Violent Avalanche had become hungry
as if it was a real bear cub.

“Sob, sob, I hate seeing the snow now.”

Violent Avalanche didn’t feel full even if it ate the snow.

But the only thing that it could eat right away was snow.

Violent Avalanche sobbed and burst into tears.

And at that very moment.

“Eh?!”

At the moment Violent Avalanche felt a chill, Violent Avalanche raised its head.
Because it sharply felt a stabbing sensation on its back.

‘No-no way?’

Violent Avalanche swallowed his breath, looked back, and soon found the reason
why. The moment Violent Avalanche met its eyes, the Frost Wolf gave up its stealthy
approach and began sprinting!

“Bark! Bark!”

The Frost Wolf even barked. If it was Violent Avalanche’s main body, the Frost Wolf
would have been beaten with one fist, but now, it was a strong enemy that the
current Violent Avalanche couldn’t fight against.

The quick-witted Violent Avalanche began to run in vain.

“Awooooh!”

“Ahhhhh!”

The surroundings were filled with the sounds of howls and cries.

Violent Avalanche ran hard, but because it was a bear cub, its legs were too short. Its
distance from the Frost Wolf was quickly reduced.

“Spare the wild god! Spare the wild god!”

Violent Avalanche desperately shouted and rolled over the ground at some point.
Violent Avalanche had tripped over a small rock that it didn’t notice because it was
covered in snow.

“Ahhhhhh!”

Violent Avalanche rolled over the ground and eventually lied down in exhaustion.
The Frost Wolf howled and jumped over the head of Violent Avalanche. With a single
leap, it reached Violent Avalanche and pressed down on Violent Avalanche’s chest.

“Awooooh!”

“Ahhh…”

The Frost Wolf exhaled and drew its face closer. Drool spilled in between its sharp
teeth, and Violent Avalanche struggled hard, but it was useless.

‘Am I going to die like this?’

If it had known that this would happen, Violent Avalanche would have chosen to die
at its sanctuary.

‘No, I cannot die now!’

Violent Avalanche couldn’t die. Violent Avalanche had a noble mission to deliver the
news about the dangers that would befall the wild lands!

“Hey! Ha!”

Violent Avalanche began to struggle again, but it was only for a short time. As the
Frost Wolf stepped harder on the chest, its claws dug into the skin of Violent
Avalanche.

“Ahhh!”

It hurt so much.

Violent Avalanche couldn’t stand it anymore and finally screamed.

“Help me! Help me! Aaahhhh! Help me!”

It was the last cry.

The Frost Wolf didn’t waste its time and widely opened its mouth.

And a flame went straight into its mouth.

Boom!

It was an explosion!

The fireball that entered the Frost Wolf’s mouth exploded. It was a magic that was
terrifyingly precise.

The fireball entering the Frost Wolf’s mouth was not a coincidence, but something
intended.

Moreover, the adjustment of magic power was precise.

The Frost Wolf was instantly killed from the fireball’s explosion, but the damage
never went out of its body.

“Kke-”
The Frost Wolf had its throat and intestines burned, and it collapsed after a single
groan. Violent Avalanche blinked its eyes as it realized that its life was saved. Violent
Avalanche stood up from its spot while roughly exhaling.

“Wh-who is it! No, who are you!”

When Violent Avalanche looked at the direction where the fireball came from, it saw
a man and woman.

Because of that, Violent Avalanche had a thought.

‘They came to look for me!’

Jude and Cordelia.

The two had saved me again!

“Cordelia! Cordelia!”

It was the moment when Violent Avalanche cried out in joy.

“It’s not human?”

“Don’t attack it!”

“I know, because it gave us a clue.”

The voices came from the man and woman.

The voices were different, but it resembled the voices of the crazy couple, Jude and
Cordelia.

Now that Violent Avalanche saw them, the color of their hair and their appearance
were also different.

The woman was pretty.

She looked like Cordelia.

But her hair was blonde, and she had a fiercer impression.
The man was handsome.

He also looked like Jude.

But his hair was blue, not black. The color of his eyes was also blue, not green.

‘He’s also much bigger.’

Violent Avalanche blinked its eyes as soon as it came to its senses. While Violent
Avalanche was thinking about on what to do, the two people in front of him
approached at a terrifying pace towards him, so Violent Avalanche raised its arms
high.

“Wait! I’m not an enemy!”

“A talking bear cub? How cute… no, it’s not the time for this.”

The blonde woman – Adelia, who came close to Violent Avalanche, shook her head
once to drive away her thoughts, and then asked, threatening Violent Avalanche with
the short cane that she was holding in her hand.

“Who are you? What is your relationship with Cordelia? Have you met her?”

Her eyes looked like she would kill Violent Avalanche right away, depending on the
answer.

Violent Avalanche unconsciously flinched and urgently replied.

“I am the wild god Violent Avalanche! Me and Cordelia are f-friends!”

“Wild god? Friend?”

Adelia looked at Violent Avalanche sharply.

She knew little about the land of barbarians, but this was the first time she had
heard of the existence of wild gods.

And Gael spoke.

“Violent Avalanche, who was Lady Cordelia with? What is the name of the person she
was with?”

The handsome man – Gael, spoke, but his eyes were terrifying. Even more so when
Violent Avalanche realized that he had pulled out his sword.

Violent Avalanche unconsciously stepped backwards and fell on its back before it
quickly said.

“Ju-Jude! Jude and Cordelia! The crazy couple!”

Violent Avalanche closed its eyes and curled its body as much as possible, and Gael
and Adelia looked back at each other.

“It seems to be correct?”

“I don’t agree with the words crazy couple.”

“I don’t too.”

Crazy couple. Wasn’t those some rude words to describe their younger siblings?

Gael and Adelia found it strange that those words somehow seemed to be correct,
and they unconsciously exchanged smiles, but soon after, the two cleared their
throats and turned towards Violent Avalanche.

Gael opened his mouth first.

“We won’t hurt you. Please open your eyes.”

It was definitely a more friendly voice than before.

Violent Avalanche carefully opened its eyes and saw Gael and Adelia. After sniffing
with its nose once, Violent Avalanche was convinced.

‘They’re the relatives of Jude and Cordelia!’

Perhaps they’re their older brother and older sister.

Because they smelled almost the same as the two.

“You said you were Violent Avalanche, right? I’m Gael Bayer. This is Lady Adelia
Chase.”

Instead of following up Gael’s introduction, Adelia stared at Violent Avalanche with

fierce eyes, and Violent Avalanche flinched again and looked at Gael as it
courageously said.

“Are you Jude and Cordelia’s older brother and older sister?”

“Yes, we came all the way here to look for the two. Do you know where the two are
now?”

His voice was still friendly, but Gael stared sharply at Violent Avalanche again.

Because of that, Violent Avalanche gulped in nervousness before it stood up and

replied.

“I know. The two left to help Gentle Snow Breeze.”

“Gentle Snow Breeze? What do you mean by they left to help?”

Adelia’s eyes were still fierce, but Violent Avalanche understood it now.

Adelia was worried about Cordelia. She was by no means, an evil person.

“It’s a long story. It’s not something I can say in a moment. But to tell you one thing in
advance, Jude and Cordelia are trying to save the wild lands. From the threat of
demons.”

At Violent Avalanche’s words, Gael and Adelia looked at each other. It wasn’t as much
as their younger siblings, but after traveling together for more than 10 days, the two
could somehow understand the thoughts of each other.

‘You think there’s something going on?’

‘I don’t think it’s a simple runaway.’

Gael turned his eyes to Violent Avalanche again.

“Okay, we’ll listen to your story.”

“Wait! Before that, I have a condition… no, a request.”

“Request? Have you forgotten that we saved your life?”

Violent Avalanche flinched when Adelia sharply retorted.

Gael spoke as he tried to dissuade Adelia from lifting her magic wand.

“Tell us.”

“We have to go to the Great Storm tribe. Take me to them. I’ll tell you the story of
Jude and Cordelia on the way. A-and you need to go to the village of the Great Storm
tribe anyway if you want to get the directions.”

Because Violent Avalanche didn’t know where it currently was.

Gael slowly nodded his head.

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

“Will it be okay?”

“It’s a better option. This is an unknown place for us as well.”

Gael quietly whispered to her ear so that only Adelia would hear it, before he spoke
again to Violent Avalanche.

“We will accept your offer.”

“Th-thank you.”

Violent Avalanche breathed a sigh of relief and stretched its shoulders, and Adelia
looked down at Violent Avalanche as she folded her arms. She was shouting that it
was cute in her mind, but she still spoke in a cold voice.

“We don’t have time. Hurry up and begin guiding us. And start talking too.”

Since it had spoken about the threat of demons, Jude and Cordelia could be in danger
at this very moment.
Violent Avalanche replied hesitantly to Adelia’s urging.

“Th-that.”

“That?”

“Do you know where this is first? I got lost…”

Violent Avalanche said as it shrank in shame, and Gael and Adelia looked at each
other.

And at the same time, in a completely different place…

“I’ll entrust it to you.”

“Just trust me.”

After he bid farewell to Count Bayer, Count Chase flew into the sky with his hands
full of luggage.

He was headed towards the north.

It was in the direction where his two daughters and the others were.

T/N: The title of this chapter is ‘Missed,’ but in Korean, it is a verb that specifically
means, to miss each other on the way. A longer one would be, to fail to meet each
other because their directions or timings of passing a certain point are different from
each other. The title was a bit spoilerish, so I just left it as ‘missed.’
Around the time when Violent Avalanche went down alone the rocky mountain and
headed on the wrong path, Jude and Cordelia were preparing to rest after they had
found a suitable place to stay for the night.

“Only when you have a good floor can you sleep well.”

Cordelia nodded her head several times as if responding to her own words, and she
made a bed by using <Dig> magic and the witch’s power.

After having dug the ground a meter or so from the surface, she flattened the ground.
She then used the wooden board as a roof to cover the place, and cast <Heat> magic
so that they could spend a warm night.

‘Should I place a flat and large stone, and then cover it with dirt?’

Wouldn’t it be completely like an ondol if I heated the stone with magic?

“Stone bed, stone bed. Long live the stone bed.”

Cordelia hummed as she worked on the bed, before she turned to the side.

Jude was cooking over the campfire, and the smell was quite good.

“Jude, Jude. What’s for dinner?”

“It’s beef jerky porridge, Madam.”

He put some chopped beef jerky in the hot water, and then added some of the grains
he saved. Afterwards, he seasoned it with salt.

It was a simple meal, but Cordelia kept drooling because she had been working hard
on preparing their sleeping place.
“It looks delicious.”

“It is delicious. I made it after all.”

“Hmph, I look forward to it.”

Despite Jude’s impudence, Cordelia was already used to it now.

She hummed a little more, and then nodded her head after she covered the newly
made bed with a waterproof cloth.

“Hmm, good. It’s well made.”

The size of the waterproof cloth was not so wide, but it was enough for two people to
lie down on.

“Are you done?”

“Yes, I’m done. What about our meal?”

“I’m also done cooking.”

“I’m excited.”

Cordelia danced with a slight wiggle of her hips before she rushed to Jude’s side, and
Jude involuntarily laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because what you did was cute.”

“Hmph, don’t you know soh-wak-haeng? Little but certain happiness. People need
happiness, whether it’s big or small.”

Little but certain happiness.

Although it was lamentable that the happiness of the incomparably beautiful girl and
esteemed daughter of Count Chase, one of the 12 northern families, was the food
that they were going to eat this day, Jude agreed with Cordelia’s opinion itself.
“You’re right, little but certain happiness is important.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

Perhaps because Jude agreed with her immediately, Cordelia felt better and
swallowed a spoonful of the jerky porridge that Jude passed on to her.

“How is it?”

“Delicious.”

It was hot so she couldn’t speak properly, but Cordelia had a contented smile, and
Jude also began eating.

“But Jude.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“First of all, we saved Red Gale ahjussi.”

“Yes, we did. The curse won’t get any worse now.”

“So what’s our next plan?”

Cordelia roughly knew of their plan in the wild lands.

As they had said while convincing Violent Avalanche, their immediate task was to
prevent the Angry Bull tribe from unifying the barbarians.

But this was not enough.

She needed a detailed plan.

“First… we need to create an Eastern Alliance that is centered on Red Gale.”

“To fight against Seven Horns and the Angry Bull tribe?”

“Well, seeing that they’ve already reached this place, it’s likely that they’ve already
moved in the western region of the wild lands.”
It would be stupid for them to send a military expedition in this faraway place when
they haven’t organized and conquered the surrounding tribes near them first.

Cordelia also nodded as if she understood it.

“What’s next?”

“We should rally the wild gods of the eastern region too. The Devil’s Eye would have
killed or corrupted the wild gods of the western region. Now that I think about it, it
seems like Violent Avalanche was one of the enemies in the game.”

“Violent Avalanche?”

“Yes, do you remember the undead bear that appeared in the middle of Act 2? It had
an awful knockback attack.”

“Uh… ah! I remember. Right. Come to think of it, they looked a bit similar.”

As Jude had said, the bear was in an undead state, so it was literally half-rotten when
it appeared, but now that they thought about it, that bear seemed to be Violent
Avalanche.

“To confront the corrupted wild gods, we also need the help of other wild gods.
Moreover, we have to fight against the Devil’s Eye.”

“Hmm… you’re right. Mid-ranking demonic humans are already too much for us, so
we’ll be unable to come up with a solution if a high-ranking demonic human appears
too.”

It was almost impossible for the power of the current Jude and Cordelia to defeat
high-ranking demonic humans.

So their plan was to let those who can deal with those enemies to be on their side.

‘Of course, the best thing that we could do is for the two of us to become stronger.’

Jude and Cordelia’s levels were already considerably higher than when they first
entered the wild lands.

Moreover, both Jude and Cordelia still had plenty of room for growth.
‘Because the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors is still just at the second door.
Furthermore… once we meet Lena and obtain the angelic blood, Cordelia would be
able to use the Ancestral Regression technique.’

Cordelia’s Fallen Angel mode that he wished to see would then be possible.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

Jude briefly imagined the appearance of Cordelia’s awakening as a fallen angel, and
Cordelia slapped Jude on the back.

“Oww! Why?”

“No, I feel like you’re thinking of something insidious.”

“Anyway.”

“What is it? Were you really thinking of something insidious?”

Instead of answering, Jude diverted the conversation to another topic.

“Red Gale is both a powerful warrior and shaman too. If it’s only a curse, he’d be able
to deal with Seven Horns.”

“Don’t change the topic.”

Cordelia stared at Jude for a while, but it was only for a moment. She soon joined
Jude’s conversation.

“There must be strong men among the warriors and chieftains of the other tribes,
right?”

“I guess so. There must be some wild gods who specialized in fighting too.”

“And Lena.”

“Yes, Lena.”

She was one of the five main characters in the first episode of Legend of Heroes.
It was highly unlikely that she was on the same level as Landius and Kamael, whose
strength were already beyond this world, but her strength would still be really
powerful.

“Uh… if I knew where she is right now, I would have gone running immediately.”

Cordelia said as her shoulders drooped, and Jude nodded as he agreed with her.

“Because there are many hidden mysteries regarding Lena’s death.”

Lena’s death in Legend of Heroes 2 was shown in a cinematic movie.

However, the problem was not that it appeared in accordance with the story of the
main character, but the fact that a cinematic movie unexpectedly appeared at a
certain time.

‘Because we only know the place and time.’

In fact, the location itself was unclear, but some of the rotten waters of Legend of
Heroes 2 estimated the location based on the background from the cinematic movie.

‘Raptor Canyon.’

Lena died there.

So they had to arrive there in advance and stop Lena’s death.

“Raptor Canyon is in the north of the eastern part of the wild lands, right?”

“Yes, so it’s close to the Argon Empire.”

Kirara, one of the playable characters from the wild lands, left the wild land at the
beginning of the game and run away at night towards the Argon Empire, and Raptor
Canyon was along the route she took.

“Hmm… it’s not that we are pressed for time, but it’s rather tight.”

“We have no choice but to leave the establishment of the Eastern Alliance to Red Gale
and Violent Avalanche. Of course, we can invite the eastern tribes that we meet on
our way to our destination.”
“How do we do that?”

“This or that.”

“Hmph, you scammer.”

Cordelia stuck out her tongue, but her eyes were smiling. She was already skilled in
helping Jude with his scams.

‘It’s fallen, it’s fallen. She hasn’t become a fallen angel yet, but she’s already been
corrupted.’

But somehow, Jude unconsciously felt proud.

“Anyway, let’s wash and sleep after we’ve finished eating.”

“I want to take a bath, a bath.”

The idea of making a hot spring and taking a bath was still a bit unreasonable.

Therefore, Cordelia wiped her face and neck clean with water that was made by
melting the snow, before she lied down.

“Haa… I had a hard time today again.”

“Have a good rest.”

“Yes, you too.”

That was it. Cordelia fell into deep sleep right away, and Jude laughed in admiration
at that before he covered her with a blanket.

***

The next morning.

Jude and Cordelia left early as they followed the map given by Violent Avalanche and
proceeded to the northeast where Gentle Snow Breeze’s sanctuary was located.

Cordelia couldn’t tell where they were because of the snow everywhere, but there
was no hesitation in her steps.

Because the almighty JudeWiki was by her side.

“JudeWiki, we’re going in the right direction, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Jude had already packed a compass from the very beginning when they left home.

At the time when Violent Avalanche was lost in the snowfield, Jude and Cordelia
steadily moved towards the right direction.

Thus, one more day passed.

By the third day around lunch time, Jude and Cordelia beheld the sanctuary of Gentle
Snow Breeze with their eyes.

***

The sanctuary of Gentle Snow Breeze was in a large basin, but it was actually very
easy to recognize even without the basin.

This is because of the sudden change in environment by just arriving near that area.

“There’s no snow.”

They had been in a snowfield up until now, but there was no snow from a certain
area, as if a line had been drawn. Although the weather was also chilly, the weather
was at least like autumn.

It couldn’t even compare to other places that were extreme enough like Frost Anvil.

‘Is this the power of a wild god?’

It was the reason why the barbarians can live in the wild lands.

The vast field was full of green vegetation. It seemed that farming, as well as raising
livestock, was possible here.
Cordelia was briefly fascinated by the landscape that suddenly changed, but at some
point, she raised her head.

“They’re fighting.”

It was as she said.

As they climbed up the low hill, they saw the entrance to the basin beyond the wide
field.

There were hundreds of people fighting around the village walls.

Jude and Cordelia automatically lowered their positions, before they grasped the
situation of the battlefield.

The ones attacking the wall were monsters and people who wore helmets that have
horns on it, and the attacking side’s troops were three times stronger than the
defensive side.

“They won’t last long.”

It was as Cordelia said. The defending side was holding on quite well, but it was
visible that they were struggling.

If they had arrived an hour late, they would have seen a wall that had already been
collapsed.

But what should they do?

Should the two rush alone towards the hundreds of soldiers?

“I have an idea.”

Jude said, and a smile spread over Cordelia’s face.

***

Madgar, a mid-ranking demonic human of the Devil’s Eye, looked at the battlefield
with cold eyes.
The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe were waging an onslaught with monsters that
they summoned from hell.

Thanks to the Spear of Corruption that Haraken received from Belial, Gentle Snow
Breeze couldn’t properly use her strength.

This is because the Spear of Corruption was stuck in the dragon vein and suppressed
the divine power of Gentle Snow Breeze.

Of course, the defending troops were doing all they can to support the warriors that
were working hard to remove the Spear of Corruption, but it was useless in the first
place.

The number of tribesmen who worshipped Gentle Snow Breeze was small. Although
each and everyone of them were strong warriors, the Angry Bull tribe was the most
powerful group of warriors in the entire wild land.

They were even strengthened by the power of Belial, and their number was three
times that of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe, so it was hard for the defending side to
overcome it.

‘It’s only a matter of time.’

They have endured well, but it was over now.

After destroying the walls and annihilating the tribe of Gentle Snow Breeze, they
would capture the wild god.

“Break it! Kill them! Destroy them!”

There was power in Madgar’s words, as she wore the bones of a beast on her head,
rather than a helmet.

As a shaman, her body was filled with patterns drawn with colored paint, and an evil
power shook from the skeleton staff she held in his hand.

Madgar closed her eyes and smiled.

She savored the current situation as if she was tasting delicacies.

‘I’m different from that stupid Zarakul.’

Zarakul had failed his mission to capture Violent Avalanche even though it didn’t
have a tribe.

He was a stupid bastard.

But Madgar didn’t hate him.

Zarakul was already dead, and because of his major failure, Madgar had another
chance to contribute for herself.

‘The day I’ll become a high-ranking demonic human is not far away.’

The goals of the demonic humans of the Devil’s Eye were all the same.

To get closer to Belial.

After becoming a high-ranking demonic human, the path to becoming a demon

prince, a superior demon, would also open.

Madgar smiled as she imagined the future that was still far away, but she would
surely achieve.

But suddenly, she heard the screams of the Angry Bull tribe.

“Huh?!”

“Master Madgar!”

Madgar hurriedly opened her eyes to the cries of the startled warriors. There was no
significant change in front of her.

The bloody warriors of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe, and the almost destroyed walls
were just as it was before.

But things have changed.

Neither the attacking side nor the defending side were fighting. Everyone looked at
the same place with the same stunned faces.
At the direction everyone was looking at…

Madgar turned. And she saw.

“Crazy.”

Raging waves of fire were moving forward and burning the whole field.

A huge and fierce wildfire was attacking their backs.

Terms used in this chapter:

Ondol – a Korean form of underfloor heating that uses direct heat transfer from
wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor.

Soh-wak-haeng – Korean slang that literally means ‘little but certain happiness.’ It
refers to the small/little happiness which one can get very easily in their daily lives.
For example, eating one’s favorite dessert after a long day’s work. It may be
something that is small/little, but it certainly makes one happy.

Ahjussi – Korean word for uncle, but also used to refer to an older man who is
within your parent’s generation.
The fire’s momentum was terrifying.

The heat spread to the sky, and the flames greatly rose and seemingly reached
several meters in height alone.

“Master Madgar!”

“You must run away!”

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe were running about in confusion as they cried
out.

It was a natural reaction. They were in a situation where the raging flames were
coming at them like a tsunami.

“You Gentle Snow Breeze bastards! Have you completely lost your minds!”

To use flames in a place like this.

Are you saying that you want to die together?!

However, the flames have already began to burn everything. Madgar urgently
ordered then.

“Retreat! Leave the battlefield!”

Madgar gave her orders, and everyone no longer waited. The warriors of the Angry
Bull tribe began running like wild beasts as they avoided the wildfire, and Madgar
also began to run as she used magic to strengthen her legs.

And the flames closely followed the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe.

“The wind?!”
The wind roughly blew.

It previously blew from the south to the north, but now, it turned towards the fleeing
Angry Bull tribe.

The flames naturally began to follow the wind too.

“Ahhhhhh!”

With her arms raised high, Cordelia made a dying sound rather than a spirited shout,
and the golden tattoo on her left arm continued to shine brightly.

“This is hard! It’s so hard that I feel like I’m dying!”

Controlling the gusts of wind in a windless area was much harder than before.

The amount of wind that she had to handle was much greater as she had to control
the widespread flames in the vast field.

“Ugh-!”

Cordelia’s legs trembled. It was so hard that she was in tears. Jude hurriedly opened
a mana potion and shoved its contents on Cordelia’s mouth.

“Sob… sob…”

“Hang in there! You’ll die if something goes wrong!”

“Bwastwad! Fwak!”

Cordelia couldn’t swear because she was swallowing the contents of the mana
potion, but Jude could tell what she wanted to say just by looking at her eyes.

But as Jude had said, failure to control the flames may result to them dying together.

Cordelia focused and concentrated again.

And then there were people who helped Cordelia.

“The shamans of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe!”

Jude exclaimed as he looked towards the walls.

Just as Great Storm was a wild god of the wind as his name implied, Gentle Snow
Breeze was also a wild god who controlled the wind.

A strong wind blew as two shamans wearing colorful ornaments chanted their spells
while on the wall.

They controlled the flow of the wind in the same direction as Cordelia, so it became
easier to control the flames.

“As expected! It’s going according to plan!”

Jude cheered as he had anticipated that the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe would help,
and Cordelia decided that she would definitely smack Jude in the back later, but for
now, she used the power again.

“Go!”

The controlled flames turned into a raging fire and struck the Angry Bull tribe.

Because the flames raged over such a wide area, a number of people were unable to
escape and were swept away by the flames, and the intense smoke also slowed down
the warriors’ feet.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Master Madgar!”

No matter how powerful the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe were, they were
helpless against the flames.

As the warriors cried out, Madgar yelled in anger and raised her skeleton staff high.

“Pour down! Strike it! Heavy rain! Heaven’s Tears!”

Prior to being a mid-ranking demonic human, Madgar was a powerful shaman of the
Angry Bull tribe.

After she almost used up an enormous amount of mana, the heavens immediately
reacted.

Shaaaaaa-!

Rain poured down from the sky.

It was far from enough to cover the entire field, but it was enough to intensively
strike the flames.

The flames began to die down.

However, it did not completely die down.

Having consumed an enormous amount of mana at once, Madgar shouted in

exhaustion.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

Although it was only for a short time, the damage caused by the fire was great.

In addition, Madgar herself had exhausted her mana, so they had to step back for
now and reorganize themselves.

“Retreat!”

“Go back!”

Several warriors of the Angry Bull tribe guided the other warriors with flags, and the
warriors who were in a mess because of the fire, smoke, and heavy rain, hurriedly
left the basin.

After a dozen minutes…

The rain stopped, and the flames disappeared. The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe
had run away.

“Good, as we had planned.”

Jude broadly smiled, and Cordelia collapsed onto the floor.

“Haa… haa…”

It was really, really hard. She no longer had any strength left to remain standing.

Jude said as he deftly carried Cordelia on his back.

“Good job, Gold. As expected of Gold. I’m glad that I’m Silver.”

Because the blessing of the wind was only in the golden tattoo.

In the midst of this, Cordelia tried to strangle the cheeky Jude, and Jude began to
walk forward.

Their destination was naturally towards the walls of the Gentle Snow Breeze’s tribe.

***

“What the hell were you doing! Did you want to die together?!”

It was good that the gate opened as soon as they approached the wall, but not after
that.

Because one of the shamans who helped Cordelia control the wind had yelled in
anger.

In fact, what the shaman said was true.

If the fire had spread across the basin, the flames would have burned the walls to the
ground without care.

“Stop it, Fine Snow. It was a reckless act, but thanks to them, the enemies withdrew.”

“But brother!”

“I’m not saying that you’re wrong. But let’s postpone that for now. We have more
urgent things to discuss.”

When the black-haired shaman with blue feathers on his head, spoke as if he was
comforting the other, the blue-haired shaman with red feathers closed his mouth
with a look of discontent.
The blue-feathered shaman said as he looked back at Jude and Cordelia.

“Nice to meet you. Warriors of Great Storm. I am Clear Snow who serves Gentle Snow
Breeze. And this is my younger brother, Fine Snow.”

Although Cordelia didn’t know the language of the barbarians, she could understand
what they were saying with her senses.

‘Are they introducing themselves?’

‘Yes.’

Jude nodded his head before he responded in the barbarian language, though it was
on an amateur level.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jude. This is Cordelia. We came to help Gentle Snow Breeze.
Great Storm, Violent Avalanche, sent us.”

Each tribe living in the wild lands had a slightly different lineage. Unlike the Great
Storm tribe who inherited the blood of the winter elves, the Gentle Snow Breeze
tribe inherited the ancient dwarves’ lineage.

Therefore, there were many people with a rather short stature and sturdy physique,
and the same was true for the shamans, Clear Snow and Fine Snow.

“Hmm, as expected. Gentle Snow Breeze wants to see you. Follow me.”

To begin with, Clear Snow had witnessed Cordelia using the power of Great Storm.
There was even the words of Gentle Snow Breeze, so even if Jude and Cordelia
pretended to be from the Salen Kingdom, they weren’t particularly wary or
suspicious of the two.

“I understand. We’ll follow you.”

Jude immediately replied, and after he conveyed the shaman’s words to Cordelia, he
followed Clear Snow.

‘It’s a small village.’

Jude avoided the gaze of the unfriendly Fine Snow as he looked around, and he was
able to estimate the size and population of the village.

‘The population is about 300 to 400?’

The interior of the basin was mostly farmland, but the area where people lived was
not that wide.

‘Everyone is exhausted.’

Due to the battle that lasted for several days, everyone was exhausted regardless of
age or sex.

Had it not been for Jude and Cordelia’s intervention, the Angry Bull tribe would have
ravaged the village by night.

“This way.”

Clear Snow led Jude and Cordelia into a temple that was built in front of a lake.

It was a temple made of wood, though Jude and Cordelia felt it was just a slightly big
wood cabin. But still, it was the largest building in the basin.

“O Gentle Snow Breeze, we have brought the warriors of Great Storm.”

They saw a pair of feet hanging down from inside the cleanly wiped temple, and
inside it, a person’s silhouette was seen.

As Clear Snow spoke and bowed his head in front of the feet, a voice came from the
other side.

“Thank you for your hard work. Send them in.”

It was a gracious voice that soothed the minds of the listeners.

After Jude and Cordelia unconsciously held their breaths in nervousness, they
followed Clear Snow and entered the temple.

“We greet Gentle Snow Breeze.”

When Jude and Cordelia spoke together and expressed their courtesies, the little
sitting girl had a clear smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Gentle Snow Breeze.”

The sight of a girl with white hair and big wings was reminiscent of an angel in
stories.

However, her sickly appearance was clearly shown on her white face.

“Thank you for helping. Are you the ones sent by older brother Great Storm?”

(T/N: They aren’t really siblings, but Gentle Snow Breeze uses ‘older brother’ to address
Great Storm as he is older than her.)

As a wild god, Gentle Snow Breeze could talk to them despite their different
languages.

Jude and Cordelia delivered a brief summary of what had happened so far, and
Gentle Snow Breeze was deeply troubled.

“I can’t believe they destroyed the mountain… it’s terrible just imagining it. No
matter how evil they are, that’s really cruel.”

Cordelia cleared her throat as if her conscience was stabbed at Gentle Snow Breeze’s
words, and Jude said with a calm face.

“Violent Avalanche sent us in fear that Gentle Snow Breeze would also be attacked.
Since the demon followers have taken over the Angry Bull tribe, we must establish
an Eastern Alliance to counter them.”

“I see what you mean. I also think that we have to work together in order to fight
against them.”

Gentle Snow Breeze clenched her fists, slightly moved her body forward, and then
continued to speak.

“A horde of demon followers did harm to the dragon vein. They attacked the dragon
vein with an evil power, so I cannot use my powers properly.”

That was the reason why Gentle Snow Breeze clearly looked sick.
Madgar’s conquest plan was to attack the dragon vein to worsen the condition of
Gentle Snow Breeze, and then push the tribe into a primitive fight once they lost the
powers they got from their wild god.

“Without the dragon veins, the wild lands will become inhabitable. Therefore, no one
would harm the dragon vein even if there was a quarrel between the wild gods and
tribes.”

That was why Violent Avalanche and Gentle Snow Breeze so easily suffered a blow
when the dragon vein was attacked.

In the first place, the idea of attacking the dragon vein had long disappeared in the
wild lands.

“They are suppressing the dragon vein with an evil and powerful object.”

Gentle Snow Breeze was one of the fairly strong wild gods.

However, she was just a small and weak girl now, as her power was suppressed by
the damage done to the dragon vein.

‘If we go with this flow, we’ll get a quest to get rid of the stuff that’s blocking the
dragon vein, right?’

Cordelia’s guess was quite reasonable, but Gentle Snow Breeze brought up another
story.

“The tribe’s warriors have already tried a few times, but the enemy’s defense is
strong. It’s impossible to breakthrough head on since they’ve built their main camp
in the place where the dragon vein is suppressed.”

Sneaking in was also uncertain. Even if they somehow freed the dragon vein, getting
out would be a problem.

If so, what should they do?

Cordelia frowned as she tried to figure out on what they should do, but Jude only
looked at Gentle Snow Breeze.

Because he thought that she wouldn’t have brought up this story if she didn’t have
second-best option in the first place.

“I need the Essence of the Blue Moon.”

Though Jude knew about almost everything in Legend of Heroes 2, this was the first
time he had heard of it.

Gentle Snow Breeze continued to explain.

“Not far from here is a place called Moonlight Hill. The dewdrops of the evening
primroses blooming there, combined with the essence of the moonlight, is what is
called the Essence of the Blue Moon.”

The mere mention of it made it seem like it was an item with extraordinary power.

“Once a month, every time the Fantasy Moons rises, the Essence of the Blue Moon
appears. It is something that receives the full moonlight.”

She was talking about the phenomenon when the two moons in the sky would look
like to be the same in size.

Jude reckoned that it would be tomorrow.

“Even the animals don’t approach the Moonlight Hill because the Essence of the Blue
Moon itself has a property that revitalizes the vitality of the fields. They’re afraid that
they might harm the Essence of the Blue Moon. But… now is not the time to worry
about that.”

He had a rough idea on what the situation was about.

“You intend to restore your strength with the Essence of the Blue Moon.”

“Yes, with the Essence of the Blue Moon, I’ll be able to use my abilities even without
the dragon vein. If I use that power to remove the evil object that is damaging the
dragon vein, I’ll be able to use my full power without the Essence of the Blue Moon
then.”

The sanctuary and her tribe had already been attacked. Gentle Snow Breeze had no
intention of forgiving the group of demon followers who attacked them.
“It’s highly likely that they know of the Essence of Blue Moon if they know so much
about the dragon vein. Warriors of Great Storm, I’m ashamed of it, but my children
are tired and injured from the continuous fighting and their urgency to protect this
place. May I ask you to bring the Essence of the Blue Moon to me?”

At her careful question, Jude turned to Cordelia, and Cordelia nodded as if she didn’t
have to think about it.

“We will bring the Essence of the Blue Moon.”

“Thank you very much. My protection will be with you two.”

As Gentle Snow Breeze said that and smiled, colorful patterns were added like
decorations to Great Storm’s tattoo patterns.

Since Gentle Snow Breeze’s power was suppressed, there was no magic in the
patterns right now, but when she recovers her powers, her protection/blessing
would activate.

“Clear Snow will explain the details. If there’s anything you need, just tell us.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything.”

“We appreciate it. We will do so then.”

After Jude and Cordelia responded immediately, they left the temple and Gentle
Snow Breeze, who was left behind, did not even felt suspicious of them.

“Let’s leave behind our conscience.”

“Because we need to obtain the Essence of the Blue Moon.”

In fact, the two had almost run out of food and mana potions. So hearing Gentle
Snow Breeze’s words was just perfect timing for them, since they needed to resupply
their provisions.

“Did you have a good conversation?”

Just in time, Clear Snow came and asked them, and Jude and Cordelia nodded. The
two then simultaneously spoke.

“Please guide us to the armory.”

“Supplies storage. Please guide.”

Clear Snow had a somewhat uncomfortable feeling at the sparkling eyes of the two,
but he soon nodded.

***

Gentle Snow Breeze’s prediction wasn’t wrong.

Once they had retreated to their main camp, Madgar thought as she looked at the
Spear of Corruption, Belial’s secret weapon, that was currently suppressing the
dragon vein.

‘The Essence of the Blue Moon.’

Madgar was originally a shaman from the wild lands.

Before meeting Haraken, she was originally called Blue Starlight, so of course, she
knew about the Fantasy Moons and also of the Essence of Blue Moon.

Her original plan was to capture Gentle Snow Breeze and then take the Essence of
the Blue Moon in her free time, but all her plans were ruined by the big fire that
occurred.

‘It’s obvious that Gentle Snow Breeze will try to obtain the Essence of the Blue
Moon.’

However, she would not be able to send a lot of troops. Even the troops who were
protecting the basin were lacking in number.

Therefore, Madgar herself did not need to send a lot of troops too. Rather, it was
better to suppress Gentle Snow Breeze and the basin.

But Madgar thought differently.

‘Those who started the fire.’

Who was it?

Was it Gentle Snow Breeze’s troops?

It can’t be.

There were plenty of times that they could have started the fire before.

Moreover, burning a field is not something a wild god would do, especially a kind one
like Gentle Snow Breeze.

‘Zarakul’s death.’

The direction in which the flames first occurred coincided with the southwest
direction, where Violent Avalanche’s mountain was located.

It could have been a mere coincidence, but Madgar believed in her intuition.

‘We’ll continue suppressing them.’

Tomorrow morning, as soon as they replenished themselves, they leave the main
camp and attack the basin again.

And Madgar herself would head to the Moonlight Hill.

She would take the Essence of the Blue Moon and trample their only possibility of
survival.

Madgar slowly nodded.

In front of the Spear of Corruption which contained Belial’s power, she held her
hands together as if she was praying.

***

“Let’s start right away.”

Cordelia, who was adding feather decorations to her rabbit ears headband, blinked
at Jude’s words.

“We’ll go there in advance?”

“If it’s a vacant area that no one has occupied, it would be more advantageous to
ambush them in advance.”

The Essence of the Blue Moon would appear tomorrow, but it was not necessary to
start tomorrow.

“The Angry Bull tribe has now retreated to their main camp. Even if they’re aiming
for the Essence of the Blue Moon as Gentle Snow Breeze said… their departure will
be later than us. They’re geographically farther.”

“Will they really come?”

“It would be better to assume that they are coming.”

It would be much safer if they assumed the worst and moved accordingly.

“Uh… then I’m homeless again today.”

They had finally reached a village after a long time.

The crestfallen Cordelia drooped her shoulders, but she did not insist on staying.

“Let’s go quickly with what we’ve planned. If we go quickly, I’ll be able to make the
bed quickly, and then I can sleep early. I’m about to die because of someone who
made me work hard.”

“I understand, Princess.”

After checking Cordelia’s condition, Jude immediately conveyed to Clear Snow about
their intentions to begin.

“You mean right now?”

“Yes, right now. So hurry up.”

Clear Snow looked up at the dark sky for a moment after hearing Jude’s answer, but
he didn’t particularly complain.

“Gounko is a clever guy. He’ll take you well to the Moonlight Hill. May the blessing of
Gentle Snow Breeze be with you.”

“May the blessing of Great Storm be with you.”

Jude and Cordelia responded to Clear Snow, and then rode on a large stag named
Gounko.

And that night, when it was nearing midnight…

After arriving at Moonlight Hill, Jude and Cordelia let out voices of admiration.

“Amazing.”

“Pretty.”

The sight of blue flowers on a hill covered with white snow was a really mysterious
sight.

Moonlight and the starlight, with the white snow reflecting them.

It was relatively bright even in the middle of the night, so it was possible to check the
surrounding area, and Jude frowned as he saw the Moonlight Hill that was wider
than he expected.

‘The good news is that there’s only a single road.’

Moonlight Hill was the end of a slope, so it was virtually no different from a cliff.

The landform was about 30 meters high, which was too low to be called a mountain,
but was quite high for a hill. It was like a cliff that seemed to have its sides shaved,
except on the one side going up.

‘Is it best to block the road until the Essence of the Blue Moon appears, and then run
away?’

Then how will they block the road?

While Jude was contemplating this and that, Cordelia began digging the ground after
viewing the evening primroses.

It was to make a bed.

“Let’s sleep and then think about it tomorrow… what is it?”

Jude stood still and contemplated as he looked at Cordelia, or rather, as he

enthusiastically gazed at the pit that Cordelia had begun to dig.

“Sure enough.”

“Sure enough what?”

At Cordelia’s question, Jude smiled and sat close to her as he began to explain.

It was a conversation that made Cordelia smile like usual.

And here’s a picture of a blue evening primrose, because it’s referred to in this
chapter:
Jude and Cordelia did not know much about the wild lands.

This was because the opportunities to visit the wild lands were rare in Legend of
Heroes 2, and even if they could, the area they could visit was very limited.

In addition, they were involved in an incident that was not covered in the game
because they had to thwart the barbarian invasion, which can be called the central
event of the early scenario in Legend of Heroes 2.

Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that it was an encounter with the unknown,
that despite being rotten waters, Jude and Cordelia did not know the beginning, the
process, and even the results of the events that were happening at the present time,
as they were in the middle of thwarting the enemies’ plans with their own hands.

But even so, Jude and Cordelia were rotten waters.

Though they may not know of the events that were happening, they still knew about
the characters who were involved.

“It was Madgar who made it rain.”

“Mid-ranking demonic human of the Devil’s Eye, a shaman.”

“She was originally from the Angry Bull tribe. She was abandoned once by her
master who was a great shaman, but she met Haraken and gained the power of the
demons, becoming a powerful demonic shaman.”

“Her aggressive nature is viewed favorably. She’s success-oriented and cautious. She
has a lot of doubts due to being abandoned once by her master.”

“She has a personality that prefers to handle everything with her own hands.”

“She’s too confident.”

“An arrogant personality.”

Having spoken so far, Jude and Cordelia looked at each other, and Cordelia said in
bewilderment.

“Crazy b*stard, did you memorize Madgar’s personality rather than her stats?”

“Hey, of course I memorized her stats. But I’m surprised you know a lot too?”

“I’m as rotten like everyone else is.”

“You’re perfectly rotten. Are you oil now?”

“Stop that oil nonsense.”

“Yes, Madam.”

T/N: Recap in case you forgot – ‘rotten’ refers to ‘rotten water.’ And ‘oil’ refers to
someone who’s higher than ‘rotten water.’ All of these just refer to people who have
played a game for a long time. ‘Oil’ refers to fossil fuels, which have been around for a
very long time, so Koreans ended up using it as a related slang to rotten water.

After the two rotten waters finished ‘complimenting’ each other, they looked
towards the front, or more specifically, they looked down the ambush point.

“They came.”

Jude said in a low voice, and Cordelia held her breath.

The two were lying down on top of a high peak, and not on Moonlight Hill.

There was a high peak overlooking the path that led to Moonlight Hill, and the path
that led to Madgar’s main camp too.

Waiting for them since morning was worth it, as they were able to confirm that the
warriors of the Angry Bull tribe really came.

‘As expected.’

‘Sure enough.’
Madgar was situated in the middle of the warriors’ ranks.

She was easily recognizable from afar because of her helmet made of a beast’s bones,
and her skeleton staff.

After their confirmation, the two crawled and moved a little further down from their
original positions, before they looked at each other.

‘Madgar really came.’

As she was originally from the Angry Bull tribe, Madgar knew well about the wild
lands.

So she obviously knew about the Essence of the Blue Moon, and of the location of
Moonlight Hill.

Madgar was skeptical and had a personality that preferred to handle important
matters on her own.

That was why Jude and Cordelia had thought.

It was highly likely that Madgar would come to take the Essence of the Blue Moon.

And that prediction had become a reality.

So Cordelia gestured to Jude with her eyes, and Jude nodded his head.

‘Let’s go as planned.’

It was their contingency plan in case Madgar herself came here.

A smile spread over Cordelia’s face, and the two quietly stood up from their spot.

They hurriedly moved to get ahead of Madgar and her group.

***

Madgar’s eyes narrowed when they arrived on Moonlight Hill.

Moonlight Hill was a place where animals did not enter, but there was no indication
of any human presence around the hill.

‘Indeed, it’s a trap.’

For the cornered Gentle Snow Breeze, her only hope was the Essence of the Blue
Moon.

But if the place was so quiet, Madgar couldn’t help but think that there was a trap.

“Master Madgar?”

“Wait.”

Madgar stopped the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, as she looked at the only path
up the hill, and she soon giggled.

“How shoddy.”

Although it seemed like they tried hard to hide it, Madgar could see the traces of a
laid trap in the middle of the pathway.

While it was clean up and down the hill, there were footprints in the middle of the
path.

“It looks like they’ve set up traps in the pathway.”

At Madgar’s words, her aide and the warriors were surprised and looked at the
pathway.

Madgar kindly pointed to the footprints in the middle of the path and said.

“Perhaps they’re waiting in ambush up the hill. But that’s just a foolish act. We don’t
necessarily need the Essence of the Blue Moon.”

Her aide tilted his head as he was unsure of what Madgar meant, but it was only for a
short time.

He soon opened his eyes wide in admiration.

“Ah!”
“Yes, our purpose is to keep Gentle Snow Breeze from getting the Essence of the Blue
Moon. We don’t have to get the Essence of the Blue Moon. And even if the Essence of
the Blue Moon is right there, the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe cannot get it until the
Fantasy Moons rises.”

In other words, she meant that they could just encircle the surrounding area without
having to go up the hill.

“Even if they get the Essence of the Blue Moon, they eventually have to come down
the hill to return. We just have to wait. We don’t have to go up the stage they made.”

“Oooh…”

All of the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe admired Madgar’s explanation.

They liked battles, but not all battles.

What the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe liked was a winning battle.

Madgar looked at the pathway and the hill beyond it again, and she scornfully
laughed as she said.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to see how patient they are? Spread out and take a rest!”

“Yes, master!”

The warriors who followed Madgar went to their positions to monitor the entire
Moonlight Hill, and afterwards, they began to rest, such as sitting down or putting
down their weapons.

‘You’ll be the first to run out of patience.’

Time was on Madgar’s side.

It was no exaggeration to say that the difference was like heaven and earth for those
who would win after tonight, and those who would lose their last hope after tonight.

“Foolish ones.”

Madgar smiled again before she sat in a comfortable position and began meditating.
And an hour passed… another two hours passed…

It was sunset at last.

Madgar slowly opened her eyes and frowned as she saw the spreading sunset in the
sky.

‘They’re more patient than I thought.’

Perhaps they were thinking of moving at the moment when the Essence of the Blue
Moon appears.

Madgar gazed at the still quiet Moonlight Hill, before she gestured with her jaw to
the warriors as her eyes squinted.

It was almost time for the Fantasy Moons to rise, so a battle in any form would begin
soon.

A few minutes passed.

When darkness spread over the sunset and the curtains of night unfolded.

The moonlight flowed down.

Light came from the two moons that floated between the starlight, and the evening
primroses on the hill opened their buds all at once to greet the moonlight.

In addition…

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, who were watching from below, unconsciously
exclaimed.

The water droplets among the blooming evening primroses seemingly soared up,
and soon after, a concentration of blue light appeared in the center of the hill.

“The Essence of the Blue Moon.”

An excited voice flowed out of Madgar’s lips.

They were far away from it, yet she couldn’t help but be distracted.
The moonlight’s essence was visible in the center of the blue light.

A beautiful and unique blue jewel was floating in the air.

“Ahh…”

Madgar quickly opened her eyes, after letting out an exclamation again.

Because now was the perfect time for those who lie in wait on the hill to reveal
themselves.

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe also sensed it. They each pulled their weapons
and adjusted their positions, as they breathed like predators waiting for their prey.

One minute passed.

Two minutes passed this time.

“Master… Madgar?”

Her aide turned to Madgar, and Madgar frowned.

Were they aiming to attack after some delay in time?

Were they inducing us to be caught off-guard by waiting for us and not immediately
taking the Essence of the Blue Moon?

It wasn’t.

It wasn’t that.

“Go up!”

The warriors immediately responded to Madgar’s orders. As soon as they sprinted

along the hill’s slope, a response instantly occurred.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Explosions broke out all over the slope. The warriors who couldn’t escape were
caught in the explosion, and Madgar was spontaneously relieved.
I was right. There was a trap.

There were people here as expected.

But after a while.

No one took the Essence of the Blue Moon even when the trap was triggered, and
everyone was confused.

What happened?

Did they give up on the Essence of the Blue Moon?

“Get out of my way!”

Madgar burst into anger as she ran straight up the slope. Some traps were triggered,
but she was a mid-ranking demonic human. As she protected herself with her
powerful magic, the various traps and explosions were useless against her.

“The Essence of the Blue Moon.”

Having reached the center of the hill at once, Madgar took the Essence of the Blue
Moon that was floating in the air.

It wasn’t fake.

It was real.

The jewel that was shining on her palm was the Essence of the Blue Moon.

Therefore, Madgar could not understand the situation.

The trap was real.

The Essence of the Blue Moon was the only hope for Gentle Snow Breeze.

However, they neglected the Essence of the Blue Moon.

There were even some installed traps, but they didn’t see anyone else in this place
besides them.
How come?

What the hell is going on?

“Master Madgar!”

She turned her eyes to the cry of her aide. Her aide’s fingertips were pointing to a
flying red bird towards them.

It was a shaman’s hawk used by the shamans of the Angry Bull tribe for
communication.

The direction from where it flew was where their main camp was located.

It was the entrance to the basin of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.

While Madgar took the Essence of the Blue Moon, the main camp’s troops were
besieging and pressuring the village of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.

The shaman’s hawk came flying from there to inform of an emergency.

Why?

I told the main force to only besiege them, and not to fight.

The Gentle Snow Breeze tribe didn’t have enough power to fight outside their walls.

The shaman’s hawk arrived amidst the numerous thoughts swirling on her mind. It
opened its mouth wide and shouted.

“Emergency! Emergency! The wild god descended!”

Gentle Snow Breeze.

She was a wild god whose power was suppressed and unable to make a move.

She was anxiously waiting for the Essence of the Blue Moon to liberate her power.

Madgar gazed down on her hand.

The Essence of the Blue Moon was there.

It wasn’t in Gentle Snow Breeze’s hands.

But how-

“Lie.”

Madgar understood then.

She understood what happened. She realized what had happened.

So she turned her gaze.

She looked in the direction of the main camp.

***

Ten minutes before the Fantasy Moons phenomenon occurred.

Jude and Cordelia did not fail in getting the essence.

It was not the Essence of the Blue Moon that mattered.

Gentle Snow Breeze only needed the Essence of the Blue Moon in order to regain her
powers in the first place.

“So there was no need to do that.”

There was no need for them to cling to the Essence of the Blue Moon. There was a
more direct way to liberate the power of Gentle Snow Breeze.

When they had confirmed that Madgar was headed for Moonlight Hill…

Jude and Cordelia immediately began to act.

Instead of running towards Moonlight Hill, they frantically ran towards Madgar’s
main camp.

Their idea was simple.

‘As long as it’s not Madgar, it’s okay.’

Mid-ranking demonic human Madgar.

She was a strong opponent that they couldn’t win against yet if they used their usual
methods.

They were sure of where she was now.

They were sure of where she wasn’t now.

Therefore, Jude and Cordelia were able to move freely.

Boom!

Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

Gales and whirlwinds rose.

As if in response, Cordelia’s hair was dyed black, and orbs of mana floated around
her.

“Defend!”

“Stop them!”

Madgar wasn’t a fool.

She obviously left behind some forces to defend their main camp.

Although there were a few of them, it was the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, as
well as a low-ranking demonic human.

“All right, a low-ranking demonic human.”

Cordelia brightly smiled.

A smile also spread on Jude’s face. A low-ranking demonic human – to be exact, it

was Karaba, a water-attribute and warrior-type demonic human. Jude narrowed his
distance to Karaba at once and used the Holy Cross Punch. As Karaba bounced from
the attack, he followed it with Lightning Punch, and Cordelia’s <Dark Blade> also
shot and pierced through Karaba’s chest.

“We can’t win against a mid-ranking demonic human yet.”

They calmly admitted it.

Because it was true.

And what those words meant was true.

Cordelia threw the mana orbs everywhere to stop the warriors of the Angry Bull
tribe. Jude took hold of the distressed Karaba and dealt the final hit to Karaba’s chest
using the Eastern Warrior’s Sword.

Shiiing-!

A ring of pure white light appeared around Jude and Cordelia. Jude rushed towards
the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe this time. He used the protection of the wind
barrier to block the arrows and swept them with the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

“Haa!”

Cordelia roughly used the witch’s power as she advanced towards the Spear of
Corruption.

As her blue eyes shined, she said with an evil smile.

“But if it’s a low-ranking demonic human, we’ll win, right?”

As long as it’s not Madgar.

Only Madgar.

She was inside Madgar’s tent.

Cordelia tightly grasped the Spear of Corruption. As if she was a warrior who was
pulling out a holy sword, she pulled out the demon’s spear and liberated the dragon
vein’s power.
A brilliant golden light filled their sights.

The moment she pulled out the Spear of Corruption, the power of the dragon vein
surged and covered the whole area.

“Gaaah!”

“My eyes! My eyes!”

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, who were already corrupted by the power of
Belial, were tormented by the sacred power that had been unleashed from the
dragon vein.

Jude turned to Cordelia, and she nodded.

They freed the power of the dragon vein by pulling out the Spear of Corruption, but
they did not intend to stop there.

Cordelia looked back at where the Spear of Corruption had been thrust.

She chanted the spell as she faced the pulsating golden stream under the cracked
ground that looked like it was ripped apart.

Then she completed it.

Thus, she made it explode!

“F*ck bang!”

The Spear of Calamity struck the dragon vein. It then exploded and completely made
the dragon vein runaway, which had already gone out of control by half.

Baaaaaaaaang-!
There was a roar. The earth shook one after another, and what Cordelia had hoped
for began to happen.

“Earthquake! It’s an earthquake!”

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe screamed, and the ground that was really
shaking began to crack altogether.

Jude and Cordelia tried to destroy the main camp itself by making the dragon vein
run out of control.

“Yahoo!”

In the midst of the earthquake which cracked the ground and the runaway dragon
vein soaring into the sky, Cordelia raised both of her arms up high and brightly
laughed, and Jude sighed as he thought that this was his fault.

Because the moment he saw her, he imagined that she would look like a perfect
gwang-nyeon-i if she put a flower in her hair, and that he thought she was pretty
despite that.

T/N: Koreans have this superstition/presumption that if a woman puts a flower in her
hair, it signifies that she is crazy, as in, mentally crazy, psychotic or a mentally disabled
woman. They call these women ‘gwang-nyeon-i’, which means ‘crazy b*tch.’ How this
originated is a mystery, but it still persists up to this day.

“Madam!”

“Dolswe!”

Despite the shaking of the earth, Jude could still use the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

Jude used the gale to run at once towards Cordelia, and Cordelia leapt towards Jude.

“Merge!”

She wasn’t really serious.

As soon as he heard Cordelia’s shout, Jude turned his back, and Cordelia clung on
Jude’s back and then slapped it.
T/N: ‘Merge’ used here can also be combine, unite, transform, fusion, etc. This word is
commonly used in mecha/robot series, where multiple parts merge/combine into one
giant robot. An example would be the series ‘Voltes V’, where the team shouts ‘let’s volt
in!’ to merge into one big robot.

“Let’s run!”

Cordelia hugged Jude’s neck with one hand and shouted cheerfully, and Jude fixed
Cordelia’s position before he started running again.

“Hold on tight!”

“I’m already holding on tightly!”

Baang!

Jude kicked the ground. Using the whirlwinds, he spurred on the cracked and
shaking ground to escape from the Angry Bull tribe’s main camp.

There were various loud sounds heard everywhere, such as shattering, breaking, and
collapsing, as well as the cries of the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe, but Cordelia,
who was the main culprit of everything, merrily laughed.

“Yay, so exciting!”

They were then finally outside the impact zone of the earthquake.

From above a barren hill, they saw the main camp itself being destroyed and
scattered in all directions.

“Mission clear.”

“Good job.”

At Jude’s praise, Cordelia cleared her throat and said as she stared at the Spear of
Corruption in her right hand.

“Jude, Gentle Snow Breeze will regain her power now, right?”

“She’ll regain it. Or rather, I think her power’s restored now.”

With Cordelia on his back, Jude turned his gaze towards the direction of the basin of
the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.

And Cordelia saw it too.

A sacred blue light soared up high from that distant place.

***

Madgar saw it too.

And she realized.

The enemies had pulled out the Spear of Corruption that was blocking the power of
the dragon vein.

They ignored the Essence of the Blue Moon and attacked the main camp instead.

What they needed was not the Essence of the Blue Moon, but the means to restore
the power of Gentle Snow Breeze.

She confounded the means with the end. And as a result, Gentle Snow Breeze
regained her power.

“…It can’t be.”

She thought on what the series of events mean.

Failure.

It was a disastrous and big failure.

Madgar herself failed.

She screwed up her mission.

“No.”

Madgar’s breathing became rough.

Her eyes turned bloodshot.

Madgar hugged her own shoulders as she muttered in a small voice.

“I can’t fail.”

She couldn’t fail.

Master Haraken would abandon me too.

He’ll abandon me like my master… no, that son of a b*tch that calls himself master.

I can’t fail.

I mustn’t fail.

She was as Jude and Cordelia had analyzed.

Madgar was success-oriented and had an arrogant personality.

And the root of that personality was the pain of her past from being abandoned by
her master.

She couldn’t fail, so she had to succeed in everything.

So that she wouldn’t become someone that would be abandoned.

So that she would be in a position where she wouldn’t be abandoned.

She armed herself with arrogance.

She sought perfection by doing everything in person.

“Failure.”

Madgar had a strong obsession with success.

So this much failure was unacceptable. She would do anything to prevent failure.

“Master Madgar?”
Her aide looked at Madgar with a worried look, and Madgar looked up and saw her
aide.

Her words poured out.

“Sacrifice yourself for the great cause.”

“Master… Madgar?”

That was it.

Madgar’s hand touched her aide’s forehead. Before he could respond, Madgar
chanted the spell to activate the technique she had prepared in advance.

“Ah? Aaah?!”

A dark red magic circle was drawn on the whole body of the aide with its center on
the forehead.

And it wasn’t just the aide.

All the twenty or so warriors that Madgar had brought also screamed painfully.

“Master Madgar!”

“Wh-why!”

Madgar did not answer. She recited the spell and clenched her fists, and at that
moment, her aide and other subordinates became pools of blood. They became
sacrifices to the magic circle, to be offered to Belial’s altar.

Human offering.

It was the fastest and surest way to borrow the power of the demon.

Madgar closed her eyes. Dark red energy gathered in the place where her aide and
subordinates stood, and the energy rushed forward towards Madgar.

“I can’t fail.”
I must succeed.

Although the dragon vein was liberated, it was only for now.

The time when Gentle Snow Breeze’s power was blocked was long. Belial’s power
had harmed her little by little.

So Madgar still had an opportunity now.

She could still do it.

Madgar opened her eyes.

Her eyes shone red, as it changed into compound eyes like that of an insect. Large
moth wings sprouted from her back.

Madgar flew.

She headed towards the basin of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.

***

Gentle Snow Breeze flew up into the sky. As she widely stretched out her snow-white
wings that was like an angel’s wings, she released her power, and the demonic power
that threatened the basin was cleansed in one fell swoop.

“Go forth, my children! My power shall be with you!”

Gentle Snow Breeze’s power permeated into her tribal warriors.

A blue wind wrapped around them, and each of them took their weapons and
charged.

The Clear Snow and Fine Snow brothers helped the warriors by summoning gusts of
wind.

“Sweep them away! Gusts of wind!”

“Run wild! Strong wind!”

A raging wind rose and pushed its way through the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe,
and warriors of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe followed it.

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe outnumbered them several times, but the direct
protection of a wild god was powerful.

Moreover, Gentle Snow Breeze did not just look around.

“Wind Shield! Wind Blades!”

High up in the sky, Gentle Snow Breeze continuously moved her hands. She protected
her warriors with a wind barrier and attacked the Angry Bull tribe by directly
swinging wind blades.

Like that, she tore up the enemy troops.

After they had driven out the Angry Bull tribe, they would join forces with the other
tribes in the south.

A smile spread over Gentle Snow Breeze’s face.

She did not like to fight, but the moment the enemies tried to destroy her and her
children, she brought down her punishment.

She put off being merciful for a while, and her accumulated anger burst out.

The two sides fought for a long time.

As if proving that they were the strongest warrior tribe in the wild land, the warriors
of the Angry Bull tribe endured the onslaught of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe, and a
powerful energy suddenly drew near.

It was such a powerful and extreme energy that even she, a wild god, couldn’t ignore
it.

“Master Madgar!”

“It’s Master Madgar!”

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe shouted in joy.

Although her eyes became compound eyes and moth wings sprung out of her back,
Madgar still had the form of a human.

Madgar saw her warriors. She looked back and spotted Gentle Snow Breeze before
she wryly smiled.

“As expected, you’re weak.”

Gentle Snow Breeze was not in perfect condition yet.

So Madgar still had a chance.

Madgar raised her hand. Gentle Snow Breeze had an ominous feeling and hurriedly
called forth the wind, but Madgar’s spell was faster.

“Sacrifice yourselves for the great cause.”

Magic circles were drawn, starting from the foreheads of the Angry Bull tribe’s
warriors.

Her spell reached close to a hundred warriors out of the hundreds of warriors
present.

“Master Madgar?”

It was another aide of hers.

The warriors of the Angry Bull tribe looked up at Madgar with stupefied faces, and
Madgar did not hesitate.

She clenched her fist and made an offering again.

“Aaaaah!”

“Hiiii?!”

“Master Madgar?!”

“It’s the demon’s magic!”

Screams and shouts, and voices filled with fear were heard everywhere, regardless of
enemies or allies.

Madgar ignored everything.

She simply accepted the temporary power that she gained from offering a hundred
sacrifices.

“Haha! Hahahaha!”

It was too much a power for her mid-ranking demonic human body to accept.

Therefore, Madgar’s body enlarged.

Her upper body was covered with an animal’s tough skin, and her legs transformed
into numerous spider legs. Her arms turned into sharp blades like the arms of a
praying mantis.

Moth wings widely spread out on her back, and numerous horns sprouted instead of
hair.

She had become a monster and was no longer a human.

She had become a demon.

But Madgar felt ecstatic.

She was thrilled by the demonic power that filled her body.

“Gentle Snow Breeze.”

Madgar crazily smiled. She had become a giant of nearly a dozen meters tall, and she
charged towards Gentle Snow Breeze.

“Wind Barrier!”

Gentle Snow Breeze urgently cried and created dozens of wind barriers.

Madgar didn’t care. She wildly swung her arms and tore the wind barriers. She
moved step by step as she headed towards Gentle Snow Breeze.
The clear blue sky turned black.

Madgar’s eyes turned dark red.

Every time a wind barrier was torn, Gentle Snow Breeze let out painful groans.

The demonic energy overwhelmed everyone.

The Angry Bull tribe as well as the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe could do nothing but
just look.

They just watched the clash between the wild god and the demon.

But there were two people.

They were two people who did not just watch.

***

“Wow, is this for real? Isn’t that a Demon Prince?”

“It’s crude like the original. As expected of Madgar. It’s the same as last time.”

Demon Prince.

They were strong lords of hell.

It wasn’t a demon prince that appeared right now. Madgar forcibly raised her power
through human sacrifices, and it was just a temporary monster that would
eventually disappear over time.

But it was still powerful.

“You have to hold out for 15 minutes in the original story, right?”

“Because she’ll lose that state in 15 minutes.”

“Gentle Snow Breeze won’t last 15 minutes, right?”

“You think she can’t hold out for long?”

“Yes, she basically can’t fight.”

Even now, she was just standing there and only creating barriers.

If it continued like this, Gentle Snow Breeze would be crushed by Madgar in less than
3 minutes, let alone last for 15 minutes.

“She has no particular weakness.”

Jude’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Madgar.

Even in the original story, Madgar couldn’t be defeated while in that state.

The strategy was to just hold out and buy some time.

But this place was real.

Moreover, there was a wild god called Gentle Snow Breeze.

So perhaps there was something that they could do. Perhaps there was a side that
they could stab.

When Jude began to worry about it, Cordelia didn’t think much. She took out a hair
tie and neatly gathered and tied her long voluminous hair together.

“Put your brain to work. That’s why you aren’t number one.”

“Hey, I’m number one.”

Jude hadn’t mentioned it recently about he himself being first place, and Cordelia
being permanently second place.

But Cordelia scornfully laughed.

Even if she was permanently 2nd place, there was one area where she was ranked
first.

“I’m first place in hunting.”

Moreover, it wasn’t just that.

“Gentle Snow Breeze is there. It is easier to deal with if it’s such a big monster type
rather than a human type. And…”

“And?”

“Because you’re here too.”

Cordelia had a nice smile, and Jude unconsciously looked at Cordelia with a stunned
face.

“Shall we go then?”

Cordelia laughed again. In order to fight doping, she doped herself by taking out the
medicine bottle she had kept in her waist and gulped down the liquid inside at once.

The Tomb Guardian.

The blood of a beast-type angel.

In the game, it was a useless item.

However, this was reality, and after various experiments, Jude was able to find out
where to use it.

The angelic blood flowed down Cordelia’s throat.

The angel’s power spread all over her body, and temporarily awakened the power
that was long asleep in her blood.

Cordelia’s hair, which had turned black because of the Witch Transformation,
remained the same.

However, her body gained new powers. Her teeth grew into fangs like a beast, and
the pupils in both of her blue eyes changed like those of a cat.

If one had to name her status, it was the Beast Mode.

“You’re like a real beast.”

Because Cordelia was wearing the rabbit ears and tail too.
As Jude softly muttered, he opened the second door of Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

He raised his golden sacred battle aura to boost the power of his whole body.

“What the… wasn’t the second door passive?”

“No, I thought that I had to do something too.”

Cordelia blinked at Jude’s reply, and soon laughed. She then looked at their front
again.

Before she knew it, more than half of the wind barriers had been destroyed, and wild
god, who was not good at fighting, was about to cry.

“Let’s go.”

They both said together.

The two rotten waters looked back at each other for the last time before they rushed
towards the demon.
For the boss monsters in games, there existed patterns.

Their attack methods.

Their attack timing.

Their attack sequence.

And in fact, it didn’t just happen in games.

Even in reality, patterns existed too.

The attacks and frequent strikes they execute were often based on the attacker’s
habit, preferences, and so on.

Their unique movements before the attack.

The time required for an attack to be triggered.

Their attack range.

If one knew all of these, and they had the eyes to assess and the reflexes to react
properly, it became possible to do something.

Particular actions such as defeating the boss while naked, or dancing while defeating
the boss, became something that were possible to do.

It was the so-called rotten water’s play.

“Catch me if you can~!”

Cordelia cheerfully shouted as she used the Bayer family’s footwork technique.
Due to the <Haste> magic she cast twice and the footwork technique of a prestigious
family, her agility tremendously increased, and her movement was like a beam of
light that exceeded the wind’s movements.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Madgar’s attacks struck the places where Cordelia was last standing.

Every time the huge sickle-like arms hit the ground, the earth shook, but there was
no hesitation in Cordelia’s steps, even when the places she had just stood on were
being destroyed.

“Head! Head! Head! Head!”

Cordelia didn’t just shout out words. Magic bullets flew in front of Madgar and struck
Madgar’s head without fail.

But its power was weak.

Although it hit Madgar’s head, it literally just hit her and didn’t do much damage.

It couldn’t even stop Madgar for a moment.

But Cordelia didn’t care. She quickly evaded Madgar’s sharp blades that were wildly
swung and used the protection of the wind barrier to block the venom from
Madgar’s arms. She didn’t stay in one place for long but kept moving.

“Foolish b*tch!”

Madgar burst with anger and released the demon’s power. She stamped the ground
with her eight feet, and a purple aura spread out in all directions. It was impossible
to evade because it was an attack that covered the entire area, and not a point or
linear attack.

“Nope. I can avoid it.”

Cordelia jumped high as if she was a high jump athlete. With a backflip, she easily
evaded the demonic power that spread out on the ground.

“Head!”
Cordelia shot her magic again after her somersault, and the magic bullet flew like a
fastball and hit Madgar’s head without fail again this time.

“Aaah!”

Madgar angrily screamed.

That b*tch who was idly moving around should have been torn apart by that attack,
yet it was not enough as she kept hitting Madgar’s head.

If she had thought rationally, it would have been correct to ignore Cordelia and
charge at Gentle Snow Breeze, but she couldn’t ignore Cordelia because of her
irritation.

Furthermore, the demonic power, that she had rapidly received, made her more
violent and lose her self-control.

Madgar was so preoccupied with tearing Cordelia apart that she couldn’t even think
of attacking Gentle Snow Breeze.

‘Her aggro is so sick.’

Jude admired it before he created a whirlwind.

He steadily did his job, evading Madgar’s attacks while attacking the gaps.

He was doing something similar to Cordelia, but also different.

It looked like he was dodging and hitting too, but there was a difference in the
details.

“Leg! Leg! Leg! Leg!”

If Cordelia was the light, Jude was the wind. Like the wind that couldn’t be caught,
Jude ran amidst Madgar’s attacks and persistently aimed at Madgar’s legs only.

Unlike the head, Madgar had eight legs, so there were plenty of places to hit.

“Leg!”
As Cordelia had said, large monsters were rather easy to deal with.

Since Madgar was huge, all of their attacks would still hit even if it were not precise.
And Madgar’s attacks were also easy to avoid.

Rather, Jude and Cordelia would have struggled more if Madgar had appeared as a
mid-ranking demonic human.

‘Of course, it’s still not easy.’

They would kick the bucket if they get hit by even one attack.

In fact, the surrounding area had been completely devastated by Madgar’s attacks.

It was full of smashed and cracked places, and there were spots that were
contaminated with poison, and spots where the poison even melted the ground. So
the Angry Bull tribe or the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe couldn’t even approach out of
fear.

‘This is better though.’

Even a graze would become a serious injury.

Anyone who intrudes on the fight would only be a hindrance if they cannot evade all
the attacks like Jude and Cordelia.

“Heeead!”

Dozens of magic bullets struck Madgar’s head as if it were beating a drum.

It didn’t hurt her.

More than half of the flying magic bullets were destroyed before it even reached the
head.

But Madgar was still angry. Her rage surged and burst out.

“Aaaah!”

Madgar’s irritation exploded, and she opened her mouth wide this time and shot
sound waves. And at that moment, Gentle Snow Breeze intervened.

“Wind Blade!”

A sharp wind rushed and jolted Madgar’s sound waves.

The direction of the attack naturally changed, and Cordelia tried to avoid the sound
waves by rolling on the ground in a hurry.

“Ah! Seriously! Don’t butt in!”

“Just restrain her! Restrain!”

Cordelia and Jude simultaneously shouted, and Gentle Snow Breeze flinched and
became dejected, before she pouted her lips and concentrated on only restraining
Madgar’s power again.

In the first place, Jude and Cordelia were able to fight well against Madgar because
Gentle Snow Breeze suppressed Madgar’s demonic power with her divine power.

Jude counted the numbers in his mind.

This was reality, so it was a little different from the game.

The sound wave attack was a new attack that they had encountered for the first time.

The existing attacks were also slightly different from the game.

However, Jude had a heavenly talent for martial arts, and Cordelia was a combat
genius.

Jude calculated.

Cordelia felt it through her instincts.

The two rotten waters quickly grasped the new attack pattern and turned Madgar’s
attack into nothing.

“Head!”
Cordelia used the protection of the wind barrier. Instead of using it to block the front,
she used it as a foothold and jumped, climbing the body of Madgar afterwards.

Madgar urgently tried to catch Cordelia, but it was impossible.

Cordelia dashed and leapt again at some point, before she struck Madgar’s head with
magic bullets again.

“Agh! This bug-like b*tch!”

“You’re the bug!”

Provocations originally worked better if it were childish ones.

As she bled from her head, Madgar exuded a powerful force that blew away the
divine power of Gentle Snow Breeze that was restraining her at that moment.

Booooooom!

Intense airwaves spread out to the surrounding area, and the jumping Cordelia was
thrown off at once as if she was swept away by a storm.

But it wasn’t called Beast Mode for no reason.

Cordelia used the protection of the wind barrier in succession as a shield and
foothold. Like a cat or savage beast, she kicked on the footholds one after another.

Pa! Pa! Pa!

Her splendid aerial movements made anyone dizzy from just watching it.

Even Madgar watched her in a daze, and Cordelia finally landed on the ground after a
beautiful backflip.

“Haa.”

Cordelia lowered her stance as if she was really an animal before she sighed in relief,
and Jude rushed forward. He didn’t give Madgar a moment of rest.

“Leeeg!”
“You bug-like b*stard!”

Their attacks weren’t random.

Due to the constant attacks of the two, Madgar missed her tempo several times.

Her attacks went badly, and as time passed, she lost her composure.

“Why! Why!”

Madgar herself was a mid-ranking demonic human.

She personally sacrificed more than a hundred warriors and temporarily obtained
the powerful strength of a demon.

But why!

How come!

“Head!”

“Leg!”

Gentle Snow Breeze’s power suppressed Madgar’s demonic powers once again.

Jude and Cordelia moved beautifully again.

They were indeed like bi-ik-jo intertwining with each other like a single tree.

The strikes of the two were like that of one person!

Jude continued to count numbers.

Cordelia felt it instinctively.

And Gentle Snow Breeze became aware of it.

Madgar’s power was weakening.

The demonic power that she used to confront the wild god was rapidly diminishing.
And at some point.

“15 minutes!”

“Five cup noodles!”

(T/N: Cup/instant noodles usually take 3 minutes to cook. So Cordelia meant that she
can cook five cup noodles in a row in 15 minutes.)

Cordelia shouted whatever words she had in mind and changed her way of combat at
that moment.

She, who had been evading earlier, now concentrated the witch’s power in one of her
hands.

“It’s breaking!”

Jude exclaimed.

What he said was true.

Cracks appeared in Madgar’s whole body, before it broke apart and collapsed.

The purple aura disappeared, and black ash quickly covered their sight at once.

Her transformation was undone.

She returned to a mid-ranking demonic human.

Moreover, there was a penalty. Due to her excessive increase in strength, Madgar’s
power temporarily dropped sharply.

That was the moment they were aiming for.

The moment when the enemy became most vulnerable!

Bang!

Jude kicked the ground. Instead of shooting forward, he ran in a circle to control the
wind.
He used the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

Having gathered the whirlwinds and gale, Jude used the created whirlwinds to blow
towards Madgar. The black ash that blocked their view was scattered at once.

“I can see her!”

By the time Gentle Snow Breeze cried, Jude and Cordelia were already moving.

Once again, the two moved beautifully like bi-ik-jo intertwining with each other like a
single tree.

“Heeeead!”

“Leeeeeg!”

Now, just by listening to those shouts that she deeply loathed, Madgar reacted
reflexively. Despite some difficulties, she spread out the demonic power on her head
and legs.

Then Jude and Cordelia’s attacks overlapped.

Each of them used the strongest attack they could deal on Madgar.

“Spear of Calamity!”

“Hell’s Blood Slash!”

A pitch-black spear pierced Madgar’s chest.

A red sword cut Madgar’s back.

Madgar’s chest and back, which had been defenseless, could not withstand the
attacks of the two.

Madgar vomited black blood, and black blood also spouted from her back like a
fountain.

“Why…”
You said it was the head.

You said it was the leg.

The moment death was right in front of her eyes, what came out of Madgar’s mouth
was a voice full of resentment.

Having met eyes with Madgar, Cordelia said as her fangs shined.

“You broke the pattern.”

“You’re really saying whatever you want.”

It finally ended after Jude’s comment.

Cordelia released the Spear of Calamity from her hand, and Jude greatly stepped
back.

“You’re… like… demons…”

Those were her last words.

Countless cracks spread throughout Madgar’s body and it soon burned. Her body
became black ash and scattered.

And the two people.

Surrounded by rings of white light that rose in succession, Jude and Cordelia clicked
their tongues as soon as they saw each other.

“Wow, that’s really dirty. Did you cut her back when you said leg?”

“You said head.”

“I hit her from the front at least.”

“Back attacks usually deal more damage. It gives you more points.”

“Do you like getting more points?”

“I’m glad I won 1st place. I’m happy because I’m 1st place. The taste of 1st place is so
good.”

“Evil b*stard. Nasty b*stard. Anyway, you’re a damn b*stard.”

The two continued to say whatever they wanted before they started laughing and
simultaneously looked down.

Because they saw what the boss monster had left behind after it disappeared.

“It’s pretty.”

Its beautiful color unintentionally drew them in.

A natural gem that was made from the power of the moonlight.

“The Essence of the Blue Moon.”

A divine item that Madgar could not absorb because of its divine power.

A bright smile spread over the faces of Jude and Cordelia.

Terms used in this chapter:

Backflip – a type of somersault which involves jumping and turning backwards and
landing on one’s feet.

Fastball – a type of very fast throw in baseball.

Bi-ik-jo intertwining with each other like a single tree – This is a Chinese idiom (
比翼連理). The first half of the idiom (比翼) refers to the bi-ik-jo, a mythical creature
which is a pair of male and female birds with one eye and one wing each who always
fly together. It also refers to couples who have a deep and positive relationship. The
last part (連理) describes two trees (with different roots) growing closer and
intertwining their branches with each other.

So what this idiom means is that two people are so close that they become one. It is
also used to describe lovers/couples who are deeply affectionate or close to each
other.

Drawing of a bi-ik-jo
Jude remembered his first encounter with Cordelia.

It was the time before they were reincarnated as Jude and Cordelia, when they were
still Outboxer009 and Yellow Storm.

They had lived as Jude and Cordelia for many years, and if you count the number of
years they’ve known each other, it was 22 years ago, as Jude had first met her in the
game more than 5 years ago when he was still Kang Jin-ho.

It was the time when Outboxer009, or Kang Jin-ho, started playing the game.

In fact, Kang Jin-ho had lived a life that was quite far from games. It was only a
coincidence that he suddenly began playing games and RPGs with VR functions.

One could say that it was beginner’s luck.

Fortunately, Legend of Heroes 2 was a game that Kang Jin-ho really liked.

‘It’s fun. It’s why people play games.’

In Legend of Heroes 2, there were two modes: single player and multiplayer.

In single player, the player literally conquered the story alone. On the other hand,
multiplayer was a mode where single players who have finished any kind of ending
of any character can gather together to take part in adventures.

‘In order to become strong in multiplayer, you have to play all the characters in single
player and get high scores. It was not a joke to delve every corner in order to get high
scores.’

There was a ‘Deck System’ in multiplayer mode.

It was a system that strengthened the stats of multiplayer characters by combining

the stats and so on of each playable character that a user played in single player
mode.

In other words, it meant that the character of a user who cleared both Jude and
Cordelia in single player mode was stronger in multiplayer than the character of a
user who only cleared Jude in single player mode.

On top of that, the multiplayer character of a user who cleared Jude with 120 points
was stronger than the user who cleared Jude with 100 points.

‘In short, one had to clear all the characters in single player mode with the highest
scores.’

It was a system that emphasized hard work, so he found it interesting, but didn’t
think of actually trying it.

He wasn’t really interested in competing in multiplayer mode.

‘But let’s try experiencing it once.’

The bad ending was also an ending, so when he lost and got the death ending in ‘The
Northern Barbarians’ Great Invasion,’ he gained access to multiplayer mode.

‘Okay, enter a nickname… ’

He entered multiplayer mode under the name ‘Outboxer009.’

At first glance, it didn’t seem much different from single player mode, but there were
two very big differences.

One was that there were other players in Pleiades besides Outboxer009 himself, and
the other was the fact that the battle difficulty of the game rapidly became difficult.

[You have died.]

Not long after he went out of town, Outboxer009 accidentally died and became a
corpse that slumped on the ground.

‘So that’s why you needed to clear single player mode.’

First of all, it was ideal to be above a certain level, whether it was on spec or control.

The enlightened Outboxer009 waited for a while before clicking the Reset button.

Because there was a user who was approaching him at that time.

‘Oh… are you trying to help me?’

If one used the Resurrection Feather that was given at the beginning of multiplayer
mode, it was possible to save those who had just died.

At that time, Jude was still a novice gamer, so he was unaware of the attitude of
gamers playing multiplayer games.

Therefore, with a pure heart, he waited for the user to approach him.

‘Pretty.’

He was sure that character’s name was Cordelia.

She was a beautiful girl with striking red hair.

The Cordelia user walked right in front of him and looked at Outboxer009’s corpse,
and Kang Jin-ho stared at the Cordelia user with expectant eyes.

Then the Cordelia user said.

[Yellow Storm: LOL game gae-mo-tae]

‘What?’

The bewildered Jude blinked his eyes, but his character was still dead.

The Cordelia user laughed a few more times before just passing Outboxer009 and
went on their way.

After a few seconds… a few minutes…

LOL game gae-mo-tae

Game gae-mo-tae.

You’re bad at games since birth.

It was a trivial remark.

Words that he could just ignore.

But strangely, no, mysteriously, the words struck Kang Jin-ho’s mind hard.

It was completely stuck in his head and did not disappear.

So naturally, the user who said those words was also clearly stored in Kang Jin-ho’s
memory.

‘Yellow Storm.’

It was the first meeting of the two which Jude remembered but Cordelia did not
remember.

***

“Hey! Get it quickly!”

“Huh?”

“Quickly!”

It was right after they defeated Madgar.

Cordelia abruptly urged him as she stared and smiled at the Essence of the Blue
Moon, and Jude was a little confused.

“The Essence of the Blue Moon?”

“The Essence of the Blue Moon! What if Gentle Snow Breeze takes it away! Take it
quickly! No, just absorb it! Okay? Quickly!”

Gentle Snow Breeze clearly said it.

The Essence of the Blue Moon was a very important item, so the animals in the area
did not touch it.

She decided that he should use it in this extreme emergency.

“Just touch it and say that you accidentally absorbed its power. Yes, that would be
good. I’ll help you make excuses.”

Cordelia who had said so far, quickly picked up the Essence of the Blue Moon from
the ground and even placed it on Jude’s hand.

The Essence of the Blue Moon was an essence of the pure moonlight, so it was a
cluster of divine power.

Therefore, Cordelia could not use it properly because she uses the witch’s power.

‘No, she has the sacred rod Moonlight.’

Wouldn’t the Essence of the Blue Moon be absorbed by Moonlight since it is also
moonlight?

“Hey, wait a second. What about Moonlight? Wouldn’t it be able to absorb it?”

“Eh? Oh… as expected of my Jude. That’s a good idea… no. Just absorb it yourself.
That would be better than strengthening equipment.”

“No, you’ll be the one using Moonlight so…”

“No, no. You absorb it. You consume it and open the third door. That’s much better.”

The two were yielding the item to each other, which was something that was
unimaginable for them to do in the past.

And time passed while they were doing things that was unlike them.

“Oh no, she’s coming.”

Gentle Snow Breeze was flying towards them.

She had a lovely smile on her face, but for Cordelia, it looked like an evil face that had
come to take away the item.

“I’ll do something about it, okay?”

“Wha-”

That was it.

Cordelia hurriedly blocked Jude’s mouth, and Gentle Snow Breeze landed in front of
Jude and Cordelia.

“You did it, you two! We did it!”

Gentle Snow Breeze broadly smiled and shouted with her arms stretched out wide
open.

Instead of hugging Gentle Snow Breeze, Cordelia said with a determined face.

“Gentle Snow Breeze!”

“Yes?”

“My Jude is sick!”

“Eh?!”

Gentle Snow Breeze was startled and turned to Jude, and Cordelia poked Jude in the
ribs hard and silently whispered.

‘Pretend to be sick! Pretend to be sick!’

What the hell is she doing?

However, Jude made an exhausted expression to adapt to Cordelia’s intention, and

Cordelia continued her words.

“Actually, Jude was born with an illness called Gueumjulmaek. Because of that, his
body had been very weak since he was young. Look at his forearm here…”

Cordelia tried to emphasize Jude’s thin wrist and forearm, but soon blinked her eyes,
and Gentle Snow Breeze tilted her head in confusion.

They had no choice but to do that because…

‘What! When did you become so strong?!’

Jude’s forearm was no longer like a corn’s stalk. It was strong and firm like a club.

‘No, I mean. Think about it. What are our levels now?’

At Jude’s rebuttal, Cordelia unconsciously gulped.

When she thought about it, it was just as Jude said.

Because of repeatedly leveling up, the two were already above level 40.

It was estimated that the highest level of Legend of Heroes 2 was over level 300, but
that was when the great demons appeared. In this world though, the average level of
ordinary knights was level 20.

Yet the two were around level 40.

Basically, one’s physical abilities increased when their level had gone up, so Jude, a
martial artist character, had a greater increase than the wizard character Cordelia.

In addition, Jude had been constantly exercising every day according to Landius’
teachings, so it was natural that his forearms had become thicker.

‘Come to think of it, you’ve also become… taller?’

Because the two were close together, she realized their height difference again. She
had to raise her head now in order to make eye contact with Jude.

‘It’s not a teenager’s growth period, since his growth is too fast… no, he’s 17 years
old so it’s correct to say that it’s his growth period now.’

“Cordelia?”

Gentle Snow Breeze asked.

Cordelia who was in a daze for a while was startled, before she resumed talking.

“No, that! Anyway! Even though Jude is fine on the outside, he is in bad shape on the
inside. So he needs treatment!”

“In bad… shape?”

Gentle Snow Breeze looked at Jude again, and Cordelia frowned.

She was having a hard time since Jude looked too healthy.

Moreover, Gentle Snow Breeze had seen Jude moving vigorously.

It seemed very difficult to convince that Jude, who was running like a gale earlier,
was actually weak and sickly.

But Cordelia didn’t give up.

“No, that! He’s really suffering from overworking earlier. Once he lies down later, I’m
sure he’ll be throwing up blood.”

“Re-really?”

“Yes, so he needs treatment. To heal it, he needs a lot of good energy. Like the
Essence of the Blue Moon.”

Having spoken so far, Cordelia stared at Gentle Snow Breeze with expectant eyes,
and Jude managed to hold back his laughter by covering his mouth with his hand.

Cordelia was acting and saying nonsense while scamming, but he found her
appearance of working hard to scam someone as very cute.

Moreover, a smile was drawn on Jude’s face because of the fact that she was trying so
hard.

“Uh… so to summarize… Jude is actually sick right now and needs the Essence of the
Blue Moon to be cured?”

“Yes, that is correct. That’s it.”

Cordelia nervously stared at Gentle Snow Breeze.

In fact, Cordelia was in a bit abnormal state right now.

Her reasoning and emotions have become simpler because of the Beast Mode’s
effect.

“Hmm, I see.”

Gentle Snow Breeze looked back at Jude, and Jude gently opened his hand to show
the Essence of the Blue Moon.

Gentle Snow Breeze nodded her head.

“It’s alright. After all, we can’t return the Essence of the Blue Moon to the Moonlight
Hill anyway. It would be better if someone needed it.”

“Eh? You can’t return it?”

“Yes, the connection between the Essence of the Blue Moon and Moonlight Hill is
already broken. We have no choice but to collect the moonlight and dew to make the
essence for a long time again, so…”

Gentle Snow Breeze’s words trailed off in the end, but she warmly smiled as she
looked at Jude and Cordelia.

“I’ve seen Cordelia’s beautiful feelings for her fiance. I’ll give you the Essence of the
Blue Moon because I have to repay you for saving me and my children.”

“Wow, thank you very much.”

Cordelia bowed down in gratitude, before she tapped Jude on the chest and then
winked.

‘See? This is what I can do. Who’ll take care of you if not me?’

It was true that the Essence of the Blue Moon gem could no longer be returned.

And it was true that Cordelia’s actions led to the gem being handed over to Jude.
‘All right, should I get started too then?’

‘Huh?’

Instead of answering again with his eyes, Jude took a step forward.

“O Gentle Snow Breeze, this humble one dares to speak to you.”

“Go ahead.”

“I would like to express my utmost gratitude first. Thank you very much for giving
me the Essence of the Blue Moon.”

“No problem, as it’s a fair reward. Without you and Cordelia, I and my children would
have still been stuck in this crisis.”

Gentle Snow Breeze laughed softly, and Cordelia was suddenly embarrassed as her
cheeks turned slightly red. But Jude was different.

“You’re right. As Gentle Snow Breeze said, it is thanks to the efforts of me and
Cordelia. But in fact, Cordelia’s achievement is even bigger. Cordelia worked harder
and was more active than me.”

What is he talking about all of a sudden?

Cordelia looked at Jude in confusion, and Gentle Snow Breeze innocently smiled.

“I see. Thank you very much, Cordelia.”

“Yes, so shouldn’t Cordelia also have a reward?”

Jude replied.

The Essence of the Blue Moon was given to Jude, not Cordelia.

Cordelia herself hadn’t received any rewards yet.

In fact, it was rather unreasonable to demand compensation so directly.

But Jude didn’t care.

For his fiancee who had worked hard for him, he had to demonstrate to her the
sophisticated way of scamming so that she can do it better next time.

“Gentle Snow Breeze, in my opinion…”

Like an expert teaching his skills to his assistant, he showed it to the two innocent
girls, Cordelia and Gentle Snow Breeze.

The battle was over.

When Madgar died, most of the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe chose to flee, and
they suffered great damages while on the run.

Fine Snow and Clear Snow did not go too far.

After driving out all the warriors of the Angry Bull tribe from Gentle Snow Breeze’s
domain, victorious shouts broke out, and Jude and Cordelia also joined them.

And that night…

As she faced Jude and Cordelia, Gentle Snow Breeze asked as she slightly frowned.

“It’s nice to see you being affectionate, but… is she okay?”

“Yes, it’s one of the side effects of using Beast Mode. She’ll be fine tomorrow
morning.”

Jude said as he awkwardly smiled, because Cordelia’s head was on top of his lap.

Cordelia was clinging onto Jude, as if she was a dog or cat that was carefreely resting
on his lap.

‘She’s like a puppy cat.’

As her body was curled up, Cordelia occasionally licked Jude’s hand and purred like a
real cat. She was also asking him to pet her instead of sitting still.

“Umm… she’ll be fine tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, she’ll clearly remember it… perhaps by tomorrow morning, her face will turn
red and she’ll pretend not to remember.”

“Ahem, ahem, I see.”

After clearing her throat, Gentle Snow Breeze brought out a small box.

“This is the Memory of the Wind. It meets the requirements that you asked for.”

“Thank you very much.”

Inside the box was a green feather that looked to be very old.

‘We’ve gathered almost all the materials for the Ancestral Regression technique.’

Ancestral Regression was a technique that reverts time, which required items that
contained powers from the past.

The Memory of the Wind was not originally a required item, but as Gentle Snow
Breeze said, it was an item that meets the requirements because it contained the
past time like the Freezing Stone.

‘The only items left are the angelic blood and a special ink to use when drawing the
magic circle.’

In the latter case, it was possible to somehow find a substitute since it only required
something that had high concentrations of mana.

In short, Cordelia would be able to use Ancestral Regression once she obtains Lena’s
blood, who was the only angel on the planet at this point.

‘The Fallen Angel Mode is just around the corner.’

With a happy smile, Jude said as he looked at Gentle Snow Breeze again.

“Gentle Snow Breeze, as I had said, we are thinking of building an Eastern Alliance
that is centered on the Great Storm tribe. Would you like to join?”

“I will join. I can help build the Eastern Alliance by spreading the word to the nearby
wild gods and tribes. I’m also planning on taking steps to prevent any further
damage to the dragon vein.”

Great Storm and Gentle Snow Breeze may be children when compared to Violent
Avalanche, but in terms of strength, they were in the top ranks among the wild gods.

If these two joined forces and called for the creation of an alliance, even the wild
gods who had not yet been damaged would be interested in joining the Eastern
Alliance.

“Maybe… the Golden Dragon King may wake up this time.”

“The Golden Dragon King?”

It was the first time that Jude had heard of that name.

Gentle Snow Breeze said as she warmly looked at Cordelia, who had begun to doze
off on Jude’s lap.

“The Golden Dragon King is the first and the strongest wild god. He is like the parent
of all the wild gods living in the wild land.”

‘In other words, he’s the king of the wild gods?’

But Gentle Snow Breeze said that he might wake up.

In short, he was sleeping right now.

“A long time ago, when the overlords of hell came down to this world… the Golden
Dragon King fought a fierce battle against the overlords to protect the wild land.
Fortunately, he was able to drive out the overlords from the wild land, but the Golden
Dragon King also suffered from a lot of injuries.”

“He fell asleep to treat himself?”

“Yes, though it’s been almost a thousand years since then.”

The overlords of hell who came down to this world.

Considering the location, it seemed to be referring to Leviathan, the overlord of

destruction.
“There’s a story that… he might wake up if the wild lands is in danger.”

That story was like a legend even among the wild gods.

That didn’t happen in Legend of Heroes 2 though.

But that didn’t mean that it won’t happen this time.

“O Gentle Snow Breeze, this humble one has a question they dare to ask.”

“Speak.”

“Is there something like a hidden secret in Raptor Canyon?”

It was the place where Lena died.

At Jude’s question, Gentle Snow Breeze briefly closed her eyes as her long eyelashes
fell, before she nodded her head.

“A long time ago, there existed a magic kingdom of very powerful elves. It was
eventually destroyed by the overlords of hell… but not all of their traces
disappeared.”

“Then Raptor Canyon…”

“Yes, it is the place where the capital of the fallen magic kingdom was located. There
are still ruins of those days all throughout the Raptor Canyon. Only a few of those
mysterious ancient races are left.”

Jude now understood why Lena suddenly appeared in Raptor Canyon.

The magic kingdom of the ancient elves.

It was destroyed in their fight against the overlords of hell.

It was a place of interest for Lena, a wizard who declared that she would devote her
life to fighting against demons.

“Jude, are you heading for Raptor Canyon.”

“Yes, we were asked to go by the Guardians of the Holy Cross. So we must go.”

“All right, I understand. I’ll wait for you two after forming the Eastern Alliance. I look
forward to the moment when I’ll see you again.”

“Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again too.”

That was it.

Jude bowed again, and then left the temple while carrying Cordelia on his back, who
was constantly rolling on the floor earlier, and Gentle Snow Breeze smiled as she
looked at the two leaving.

‘They’re a fantasy couple.’

They really got along well and looked adorable.

But there was someone who thought differently.

“I admit that they suit each other well. The two are really a crazy couple.”

“Uh… not a fantasy?”

“They’re crazy, they’re crazy.”

Violent Avalanche strongly asserted, as it once again talked about the fight on the
rocky mountain, and Gael and Adelia looked at each other.

“Well… the two indeed had gone too far.”

“It’s because of someone’s younger brother.”

“Ahem, ahem, Jude is a very gentle child.”

“Then are you saying that Cordelia is violent?”

“That’s right, she’s violent. She’s aggressive. Very violent… not. Umm… she’s not.”

T/N: Not exactly a pun, but just a word with different meanings. Gwa-gyeokada can
mean ‘gone too far’, ‘violent’, or ‘aggressive.’
Violent Avalanche flinched when Adelia’s fierce eyes interrupted its words, so it tried
hard to negate its previous words, and Gael who saw that, had a small smile.

“Moving on, I think the two had become very strong.”

“You’re right, the two are pretty good when you hear the story.”

“Especially Cordelia who was really good at fighting. She was completely like a
fighting cock… I get it. Don’t crush me. Sob sob.”

As Violent Avalanche was being crushed by Adelia, Gael struggled in holding back his
laughter before he began talking again.

“In any case, it seems that it wasn’t an elopement. I feel like they were involved in a
lot of things.”

“You’re right. From the Fairy Queens to the Guardians of the Holy Cross…”

In addition, they were now fighting against a plot of the demon followers to seize the
entire barbarian lands.

“We have to hurry up and join the two.”

“Yes, we must.”

“Ahem.”

The last was Violent Avalanche again.

Gael and Adelia were talking in a low voice while facing each other, before they
simultaneously looked back at Violent Avalanche, and the white bear cub said as it
squinted its eyes.

“No, I was just thinking that you look alike.”

“You mean both Jude and Lady Cordelia?”

“Yes, they resemble you two.”

“Lord Gael is Jude’s older brother, and I’m Cordelia’s older sister. It’s natural that we
resemble each other.”

“Yes, because we’re siblings.”

Gael spoke as he looked at Adelia and smiled, and Adelia just nodded quietly and not
snort like usual.

And Violent Avalanche thought.

‘No, that’s now what I meant.’

There was a strange atmosphere between the two.

However, Violent Avalanche only kept those words in its mind. Because Adelia would
surely send a fierce gaze if Violent Avalanche put those words out of its mouth.

And a dozen minutes passed.

“We’re here!”

Violent Avalanche suddenly jumped from its spot and began running towards the
front, and Gael and Adelia could see it too.

The village of the Great Storm tribe was spread out before their eyes.

Terms used in this chapter:

Spec – gaming term that can mean a character’s specifications or specialization, or

how one distributes skill points among the various skill trees available.

Control – gaming term which means how a user ‘controls’ the actions of their
playable character, including aiming and moving skills, and the ability to use skills
appropriately.

Gae-mo-tae (개모태) – A Korean slang used in chat rooms to describe someone who
is really bad at playing games. Gae (개) means inferior or worthless, while mo-tae
(모태) means mother’s womb/uterus. Mo-tae is also used to refer to ‘being born’,
‘born to be’, ‘naturally’, etc. If you combine ‘mo-tae’ with the word ‘sol-lo’, it refers to
people who are single since birth (no GF/BF ever). So, gae-mo-tae literally means
being inferior/bad since birth.

Puppy cat (Gae-nyang-i) – A cat that acts like a dog.

Inside the lodging prepared by the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.

Jude, whose face, neck, back of his hands and so on were covered in saliva, stared
down at the floor with a look of liberation.

Cordelia was curled up on the blanket and asleep with a happy face.

“Huu… Form does not differ from the void, and the void does not differ from form.
Form is void, and void is form…”

After reciting lines from the Heart Sutra, Jude covered Cordelia with a blanket and
sat down on a chair in exhaustion.

“So exhausting.”

It was physically and mentally exhausting.

But he eventually smiled afterwards.

Because the curled-up Cordelia’s face looked so happy.

‘Will she make a fuss when she wakes up tomorrow?’

The side effect of Beast Mode made her act like a puppy cat, but her memories of it
won’t disappear.

Several experiments have already revealed that.

A rather wicked smile appeared on Jude’s face as he thought of how Cordelia would
act tomorrow.

In fact, Jude had already formed a plan on how to tease her.

“How peaceful.”

Just a few hours ago, they had a life-and-death battle against a mid-ranking demonic
human, so it wasn’t really peaceful at that time.

After he smiled again, Jude washed his face with water from a basin before he sat on
the floor with his back towards Cordelia.

‘The Essence of the Blue Moon.’

As he silently stared at the blue gem in his hand, Jude straightened his back and
closed his eyes.

Reality wasn’t exactly the same as it was in the game, but it was still a world that had
many similarities with the game.

An example of that was the level.

Like what he told Cordelia, as the level increased, the overall stats also increased.

Level is a thug, and just as the saying goes, Jude was originally born with a weak
body, but after reaching levels 40-42 now, the strength of his body was high enough
to look down on most ordinary knights of Count Bayer.

His muscle strength had also become stronger, and it was at a level that the
strength/power he can exert was almost like a superpower.

‘It’s not some kind of built-in muscle though.’

Jude had become quite strong, but that doesn’t mean that he became a muscular man
like Landius.

However, his power was nearly twice that of a typical adult male.

‘Because these days, I feel like Cordelia is as light as a feather.’

He was fine with holding her on his arms or carrying her on his back.

Though it was also true that he had been carrying her a lot these days.
‘Well… maybe it’s a little like bean pods covering my eyes.’

When he thought of that, Jude cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind again.

Didn’t he sit with his back on Cordelia to get rid of all the distractions in the first
place?

‘Anyway.’

Leveling up was the surest and most basic way to become strong.

‘But this alone is not enough.’

One’s body becomes stronger when they level up.

Not only did the physical and muscle strength increase, but the physical body itself
was strengthened, and the stamina and defensive abilities also increased.

But there was no tech/skill tree here.

‘This is the most painful thing.’

In the game, new skills appeared just by leveling up, but this was reality, so no
matter how much he leveled up, no new skills had appeared.

‘Cordelia’s case is a little different though.’

Cordelia had the witch’s spell book.

It was a magical spell book wherein more pages could be opened when she reached a
specific level, so Cordelia was able to learn new magic spells at certain levels, just
like a game.

But that didn’t apply to Jude.

‘In the end, the only means to become strong now is to level up and the Ninth
Heaven’s Nine Doors.’

He had to open a new door of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

Landius had said that it was how he gained new abilities.

‘I’ll be able to evolve the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.’

When the first door was opened, the Thirty-Six Worldly Steps became Twenty-Four
Gale Steps.

When the second door opened, a whirlwind was added to his Twenty-Four Gale
Steps.

Following this pattern, it was highly likely that the Twenty-Four Gale Steps would
evolve again when the third door is opened.

‘All right, let’s open the third door.’

The Essence of the Blue Moon contained the power of the pure moonlight. If he can
absorb it all, he would be able to open the third door.

Jude closed his eyes and focused his mind.

Cordelia’s breathing from behind his back slightly disturbed his mind, but he soon
calmed down his mind.

With a pure and serene mind, he entered a state where he accepted the power of the
moonlight from the Essence of the Blue Moon.

The pure energy of the moonlight entered his body.

It was so clear and pure that it seemed to be harmful to ordinary people.

But not for Jude.

Jude already possessed a pure energy due to the meeting of both Yin and Yang
energies.

When both Yin energies met, they became one with each other without much
difficulty.

T/N: Moonlight is Yin energy, so when combined with Jude’s Yin energy, the two
becomes one.
Jude slowly controlled his breathing.

He recited the mnemonic chant of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors, bringing the Yin
energies inside and outside of his body into one.

Jude forgot the time.

He was isolated from the passage of time.

The pure and clear energy of the moonlight that accepted the power of the moon,
spread throughout his body.

He collected his breathing, and he controlled his breathing.

Jude felt it.

The last meridian which had been blocked by his Gueumjulmaek was pierced.

As the energy of the moonlight spread throughout his body, his meridians also began
to open.

His meridians completely opened.

His inner Qi freely cycled his body.

A door emerged in Jude’s mind.

The third door.

The third door of Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

Jude slowly opened the door.

He opened it at the same time it was installed.

He had already done it twice.

The opening of the third door was the same as the opening of the first and second
doors.
No.

It was different from before.

Jude could feel it.

Everything was pitch black.

A white light appeared in this black area.

It covered the sky and the ground.

There was someone who stood in that white world that spread out on the pitch-
black darkness.

He or she.

He didn’t know yet.

It was an unrecognizable existence at the level of the third door.

But he or she saw Jude.

They had a smile on their face.

A person who sat inside that white world.

A silhouette of a person who seemed to have been drawn with rough ink lines.

He or she began to move.

He or she made a slow but clear move, as if telling Jude to look carefully.

And that was the moment.

A new chant came to Jude’s mind.

A clear voice echoed in his head.

It became a little clearer and more visible.

It was a woman.

The figure of a woman who seemed to be drawn with rough ink lines taught Jude.

New movements, a new chant, and a new skill.

Black Dragon Release Technique.

The woman said. She stretched out her hand. At that moment, a giant black dragon
rose from her palm and struck the white world.

Roaaaaaaar-!

The black dragon roared. It smashed and destroyed the white world.

The woman turned to Jude.

Once again, she smiled brightly, and raised her hand to point at Jude. She pretended
to use the skill again.

Give it a try.

You can do it.

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors’ Black Dragon Release Technique.

Jude recited the chant.

His aura moved. His Cheonmujiche responded. It naturally knew what to do and how
to do it.

“Black Dragon Release Technique.”

Jude said.

He stretched out his hand.

***

The next morning.

Jude and Cordelia left the basin after being sent off by Gentle Snow Breeze, and the
two headed towards Raptor Canyon.

However, the facial expressions of the two were different.

Jude’s face was glowing with a smile, and Cordelia kept looking at him with an
awkward face.

“Hmm-hmm~huhu-hmm~”

Cordelia flinched when Jude began to unusually hum.

And she studied Jude’s face again.

Why is he so excited?

Why is he broadly smiling?

Um… anyway, shouldn’t I behave like nothing happened at that time?

‘That’s right! Let’s pretend that I don’t remember!’

Having made up her mind, Cordelia cleared her throat and made a cool and dignified
expression as if she had not done something shameful, and Jude had a wicked smile
and said in a low voice.

“Lick, lick.”

Cordelia’s face turned red.

But Cordelia didn’t give up yet.

“What nonsense are you suddenly saying?”

“Lick, lick.”

“You b*stard! You wretched b*stard!”

Cordelia eventually gave up and began slapping Jude on the back, and Jude just
smiled in satisfaction.
“Ugh! Hey! It no longer hurts when I hit you? Have you been lying so far that it
doesn’t hurt?”

“No, it hurts a lot. Ouch, it hurts. Ouch, it hurts.”

“I hate you so much!”

Cordelia, whose neck had turned red too, began to increase the strength in her
hands.

“Ack! Hey! Hey! It hurts! It really hurts!”

“It doesn’t hurt!”

“No, you’re wrong. It really hurts, okay? Your level is high too, right?”

Though it may be less than the martial artist Jude, the wizard Cordelia also had her
physical abilities increased every time she leveled up.

As Jude frantically cried, Cordelia asked after reflexively stopping her hand.

“Does it really hurt?”

“It really hurts.”

“That’s great!”

“Ah! Ah! Hey! Hey!”

“More! Be more hurt!”

“Lick, lick.”

“Hey! It doesn’t hurt? You’re not actually hurt, huh?”

“It hurts, but still, lick, lick.”

“Die!”

A few minutes passed since the violence and relentless teasing between the two
began.

Cordelia panted after getting tired, and Jude said.

“It’s all right, because it was very cute.”

“F*cking b*stard. I’ll reconsider using Beast Mode again.”

Cordelia glared at Jude and decided to change the topic instead of hitting Jude more.

“Anyway!”

“Anyway.”

“Are we going to Raptor Canyon now?”

“Yes, because it seems that there’s a relation between Lena and the elves’ magic
kingdom, which is said to be in Raptor Canyon.”

“The ruins of the magic kingdom… there must be a lot of rare items, right?”

“Tsk, tsk… you’re greedy for everything.”

“Die.”

As Cordelia glared at Jude again, Jude cheerfully smiled and said.

“Well, I’m looking forward to it too. It’s a magic kingdom, so there’ll be a lot of stuff
that you can use.”

“Moonlight is still worth using, so I hope that there would be a lot of other things.
Like armor or accessories.”

“Since you’re using the witch’s magic, wouldn’t it be nice to have items that speed up
your mana recovery?”

“Yes, yes, I must completely raise my mana itself. It’s good that the witch’s magic is
strong, but it consumes a lot of mana.”

After she said that, Cordelia suddenly stopped and looked back at Jude.
“Come to think of it, did you absorb the Essence of the Blue Moon well?”

“I absorbed it well.”

“For real? Then did you open the third door? Are you stronger now?”

Cordelia asked as she walked up to Jude with her eyes shining.

Jude replied as he impulsively pinched Cordelia’s cheeks.

“I opened it.”

Cordelia would have usually called him crazy and asked why he was pinching, but
this time, her eyes got bigger and she widely smiled.

“Wow! Third door! The third door! How did it go? Has something changed? Did you
learn some new skills or something?”

“Should I show it?”

“Yes, show it to me. I want to see it. I want to experience it.”

As she jumped in place with the rabbit ears headband on her head, Jude smiled again
at the sight of such Cordelia, before he suddenly hugged Cordelia on her waist with
just one arm.

“I’ll show it to you.”

It was not only the Black Dragon Release Technique that he learned.

Twenty-Four Gale Steps also received a new change.

‘Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.’

Nine worlds and nine doors.

It was the special martial arts of the transcendent being who defeated the overlords
of hell when they came down to this world in the past.

“Twenty-Four Gale Steps – Black Wind’s Advent.”

Jude said in a low voice before he carried Cordelia with both hands. Cordelia clung to
him as he stirred up the wind.

Dozens of golden-colored whirlwinds rose.

And in between that, a jet-black wind soared up too.

“Kya?”

Jude laughed at Cordelia’s scream that was a beat late.

He unhesitatingly stepped forward and became the wind itself.

Shaaa-!

Instead of a deafening roar, what was heard was the sound of something piercing the
air.

The jet-black wind that was surrounded by the golden whirlwinds blew. It became a
gale as it crossed over the white snowfield.

***

At the time when Jude and Cordelia were headed for Raptor Canyon…

Gael and Adelia were facing Red Wind.

“Uh… so you mean that Cordelia bought you?”

“Yes. Cordelia-unnie bought me. To save me at the auction house.”

Though her fluency in the continent’s official language was poor, Red Wind
expressed her admiration for Cordelia with great enthusiasm.

Gael asked after listening to her story.

“By the way, Miss Red Wind, did you happen to hear where Jude and Cordelia got the
money?”

Although Gael had never been involved in the slave trade, he at least had some
knowledge of it.

As the heir to one of the 12 northern families, he understood how the world works
to some degree.

Red Wind inherited the blood of the Winter Elves, so she was a very beautiful girl,
which meant that her price was likely higher than usual due to the nature of the
Lankebuste’s slave auction house.

But Jude and Cordelia bought her in a normal transaction?

At Gael’s question, Adelia also had a curious expression.

“Come to think of it, you’re right. It’s not something they can do from just their
pocket money.”

In addition, when they looked back on Jude and Cordelia’s journey, the two had
constantly spent a lot of money.

So they were curious on where the two got the money to buy an expensive slave.

“Uh… Cordelia-unnie said. She gambled.”

“Gambled? Uh, you mean the casino?”

“Right. It was called casino. They made money there and bought me. Jude-oppa said
they went to the casino to earn money to buy me.”

As Red Wind broadly smiled, Gael and Adelia looked at each other, and soon, anger
rose on Adelia’s face.

‘He was a gambler?!’

Did they just go to the casino because he wanted to, or did they go to earn money to
buy slaves?

It was one of the two.

Either he is too pure and honest, or he is a gambling addict!

“Uh… ahem… it seems they somehow won though.”

Adelia’s eyes narrowed when Gael cleared his throat and spoke.

And Red Wind said again.

“Right. Cordelia-unnie said she won a lot. Unnie boasted that she was good at
gambling.”

“Wait, Lady Cordelia won?”

“Unnie is very good at gambling. She said that she’ll take me later.”

Gael’s gaze went back to Adelia at the innocent remarks of Red Wind, and Adelia
flinched before she said as she cleared her throat.

“Ahem, ahem, she must be lucky… I guess. That’s it.”

“…I see.”

In any case, it was good that they made a lot of money and saved Red Wind, instead
of squandering their fortune in vain.

“Miss Red Wind, can I ask you to continue your story?”

“Okay, I’ll continue.”

Red Wind also talked about the things that had happened after crossing the border.

“The Ghostblade Kamael…”

“I didn’t expect Jude to be Landius’ disciple.”

It was an unexpected appearance of important figures.

The Ghostblade Kamael, and Landius, the iron man.

The two were undeniably the continent’s top swordsmen.

“Umm… I’m sorry. I didn’t really understand what they talked about with that person
named Kamael.”

“No, this is enough. Thanks for telling us.”

When Gael brightly smiled, Red Wind unconsciously blushed and giggled as she left
the room, and Adelia spoke after she cleared her throat due to some unexplainable
discomfort that she felt.

“It certainly doesn’t seem like normal.”

“Yes, I don’t think it’s just a matter of being involved with demon followers. Them
crossing the border seems to be due to an important mission rather than an
elopement. Perhaps… I don’t know if we should also change the purpose of our trip.”

They also had to help the two solve the current problem in addition to recovering the
immature runaway couple.

“Haa… Cordelia…”

Adelia bit her lips and let out a troubled voice.

It would have been better if they had just run away.

According to what they had heard, Cordelia was running towards an even greater
danger.

“Don’t be so worried. We’ll be able to join the two soon.”

“Yes… you’re right. Thank you, Lord Gael. I’m thankful that Lord Gael is here.”

“I’m also thankful that Lady Adelia is here.”

Gael and Adelia stared at each other.

If Violent Avalanche was here, it would have a truly uncomfortable expression at the
two staring at each other.

It was Adelia who turned her head away first.

“Ahem, ahem. Anyway, I think we shouldn’t delay ourselves. Let’s start heading
towards the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.”

“Okay, I think that’s a good idea.”

Gael casually smiled and stood up from his seat before he held out his hand to Adelia.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Lord Gael.”

Adelia held Gael’s hand and stood up as she wondered why he was being modest
than usual, and as they were leaving the room, she suddenly stopped walking.
Because there was something else that came to her mind.

“That, by the way, Lord Gael.”

“Yes, Lady Adelia.”

“That… Lord Gael doesn’t do anything like gambling, right?”

“Yes, I don’t. That… Lady Adelia… you don’t too, right?”

“Yes, me too.”

“That’s good.”

“Yes, that’s good.”

It was relevant to them that the other was a virtuous person.

Anyway, the two were relieved by the fact that neither side gambled, and they went
out of the room with a small smile on their faces.

Terms used in this chapter:

The Heart Sutra – one of the most revered Buddhist sutras in both Chinese and
Japanese cultures. Some of its lines include: Form does not differ from the void, and
the void does not differ from form. Form is void, and void is form. Most Koreans don’t
know what it means, but because it seems deep, it is often used in situations where
one tries to look cool/deep. Though in this chapter, Jude seems to know its real
meaning, so he uses it to calm himself down. I won’t explain what the lines mean, as
there are different interpretations of it, but just know that ‘form’ can refer to one’s
body, and ‘void’ can also mean emptiness.

Level is a thug – Korean gaming slang that means that as the levels increase, the
stronger or better one’s skills or abilities are. It’s actually hard finding a good
explanation about this slang, but it just means that a weak character can become as
strong as a thug if they had a higher level. When this slang is used on bosses, it
means that boss’ high level makes it so strong that it is like a thug/bully towards the
player.

One’s eyes are covered with bean pods – a Korean idiom which means to only see
good in someone after falling in love with them. (T/N: OMG, is this a confession,
Jude?)
Gael and Adelia tried to leave for the Gentle Snow Breeze village, but things didn’t go
as planned.

Because the terrain of the wild lands could be compared with the vast ocean.

“Even if there’s a map, outsiders are likely to get lost. Please wait a little longer. I will
send messengers to the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe, so go with them… yes.”

Violent Avalanche said, tapping its stomach as it leaned its body in a comfortable-
looking leather chair.

Next to Violent Avalanche was Red Gale, the chieftain of the Great Storm tribe.

“Jude and Cordelia. Our benefactors and friends. You, their brothers and sisters, are
also our friends. So we’ll help. But wait.”

When Red Gale awkwardly spoke in the continent’s language, Adelia frowned and
looked back at Gael, and he appeased Adelia with a smile as they couldn’t help it.

“Red Gale, can you tell us when the messengers will leave?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“I understand. We will wait until tomorrow morning then.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Gael responded with a smile to Red Gale before he left with Adelia, who still had a
slightly dissatisfied expression on her face.

“Lord Gael, would it be all right?”

“I’m also very worried… but one way or another, this is the land of the barbarians.
We know little of this place, so it would be nice to receive their help. We’ll arrive
there sooner if we’re with them.”

“Eh… it would be nice if we could leave this afternoon.”

“They’re already doing us a favor. At this point, it would be better if we concede and
let them be.”

Gael gently spoke again, and Adelia nodded her head.

It was quite strange. If her aide, Oron, or her fellow Magic Corps head, Catan, had
said something like that, she would have opposed it.

But when Gael spoke, she felt like following him.

“For now, let’s go to our tent and relieve our fatigue from travel. You’ve been through
a lot, haven’t you? I’ll brew you some tea that’s good for recovery from fatigue.”

“Yes, Lord Gael.”

Adelia replied with a broad smile unconsciously but was soon embarrassed, and Gael
who saw Adelia’s bright smile for the first time was also embarrassed.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

‘Beau… tiful.’

And then.

Violent Avalanche clicked its tongue after it saw Gael and Adelia came to a halt
outside the door because of their embarrassment.

“They’re just alike. They’re similar.”

Violent Avalanche clicked its tongue again as it remembered the crazy couple.

The siblings resembled each other as Violent Avalanche expected.

***
In a place where the white snowfield spread out endlessly…

Cordelia was sending Jude a gaze that resembled Violent Avalanche rather than
Adelia.

“Sometimes, I don’t know if you’re smart or stupid.”

“Huhu…”

Jude and Cordelia were trudging along the snowfield.

Rather than specifically going somewhere, they were moving to find a place to rest
for the day.

“This is really tough, so tough.”

The reason for her criticism was simple.

Because Jude, who used the Black Wind’s Advent while carrying Cordelia, was too
excited.

As he focused only on running, they went off their initial route for a long time, and
their problem now was that they weren’t sure how far off they were from the
original route.

Even if he had a compass and map, the scale of the map wasn’t accurate in the first
place, so they couldn’t find their way back easily.

Fortunately, constellations appeared at night, and how to use the constellations to go

to Raptor Canyon was a fact that he learned from the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe.

‘If you go straight in the direction of the Big Axe, you’ll eventually find it.’

It was the teaching of Fine Snow.

“But Jude.”

“Stop blaming me, please.”

“It’s not that. It’s just because I suddenly have a question.”

“What is it?”

When Jude turned around and asked, Cordelia naturally stretched her arms forward.

Jude’s eyes narrowed at once, since he knew what that posture meant.

“Hey, you said you have a question.”

“My legs hurt too.”

“My princess, haven’t you been walking less on your own feet lately?”

“But I have a Daddy who became stronger from leveling up.”

“My princess should be independent too. Until when will you be carried in your
Daddy’s arms?”

“Then Cordelia will be a kangaroo.”

“…I’m not even your real dad, but I feel terrible. I suddenly miss father-in-law.”

T/N: Jude is calling Count Chase as father-in-law even if he’s still not married to
Cordelia. Don’t ask me why… that’s just how it was written in the series. I’m not sure if
Koreans call their future wife’s father as father-in-law already if they’re still engaged.

“Anyway, just give me a piggyback ride. Good job getting lost, this is your blunder,
right?”

“It is.”

“Then quickly.”

Jude eventually handed the backpack to Cordelia, and Cordelia carried the backpack
before she got on Jude’s back.

“So what are you curious about?”

When Jude asked as he adjusted Cordelia’s position, she grabbed his shoulder and
said.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to lift me up if I added a handle here?”

“Hey, were you really curious about something?”

“Yes, I am. First of all, the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors. You said you saw a female
sage?”

“I saw one.”

It was the woman that he saw in that world in his mind.

Jude was able to learn two skills from her, the Black Dragon Release Technique, and
the Black Wind’s Advent.

“Will the female sage appear and teach you new skills whenever you open a door in
the future?”

“Perhaps?”

“Good, good. You finally have a proper skill/tech tree. I like it.”

Unlike Cordelia whose chosen skill tree lets her instantly learn new magic after
leveling up, Jude’s growth route had been somewhat vague so far.

“I feel more certain now.”

Every time he raised the level of Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors, he would be able to
learn new martial arts.

His existing martial arts would also be strengthened.

“But Jude. Did Landius not tell you this?”

“Master… maybe he didn’t see her.”

“The female sage?”

“Yes.”

“Why? Because the female sage hates macho men?”

“You don’t truly mean that, right?”

“No. Is it because of Cheonmujiche then?”

“Maybe.”

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors was a divine skill that only those with Cheonmujiche can
fully master it.

Therefore, Landius could not fully learn the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors even though
he awakened the power of giants through the Ancestral Regression technique.

‘He was able to reach the seventh door because he awakened the power of the
giants.’

When he opened the third door at that time, Jude realized it.

Even though Jude had Cheonmujiche, his body needed to be stronger in order to
open a new door.

That need became higher as new doors were opened, so someone who didn’t have
Cheonmujiche would need a far more powerful body in order to learn Ninth
Heaven’s Nine Doors.

‘When I think about it, he’s really amazing.’

It meant that he opened up to the seventh door through force.

It had indeed become possible for him because of the support of his tremendous
physical abilities.

‘It must be the reason why he talked about muscle loss.’

Without those colossal muscles, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand the Ninth
Heaven’s Nine Doors.

“Hohoho, but my Jude has Cheonmujiche. Good, good. I like it.”

Cordelia happily laughed and said as she ruffled Jude’s hair.

“But Jude.”

“Yes.”

“You actually learned Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors by chance, right? Because you met
Master Landius.”

“Yes.”

“Then, how did you originally intend to be strong?”

In the original story, Jude learned Count Bayer’s martial arts and became an
orthodox swordsman.

However, Jude had left his house much earlier than the original, so he could only
learn a part of Count Bayer’s martial arts.

“Originally?”

“Yes, originally.”

“I was thinking of copying parts of Count Bayer’s martial arts and learning Red Gale’s
martial arts in the barbarian lands.”

After all, Jude had a heavenly talent for martial arts.

It wasn’t impossible for him to steal and learn others’ martial arts if he was
determined to do so.

Moreover, Lucas was very friendly with Jude.

“I was thinking of learning from Red Gale in return for saving Red Wind.”

“What an omnivore.”

“Because I was thinking of learning the King’s Swordsmanship in the future anyway.”

In Legend of Heroes 2, this was the ancient swordsmanship that the main character
Maximilian inherited.
But Jude had changed his mind now.

“In the last expansion pack, Jude must have eventually learned the Ninth Heaven’s
Nine Doors. However, since I learned the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors much earlier, I
no longer have to find it. Moreover, there’s Landius and Kamael, right?”

“Yin and Yang energies.”

“And a Yin-Yang Body that can incorporate both into one body.”

He was in situation where he had learned much from the martial arts side already.

If it weren’t for the big events where he needed to intervene such as Lena’s rescue
and stopping the Angry Bull tribe, Jude would have followed and trained under
Landius or Kamael.

“In addition, while developing the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors as a foundation… I was
thinking of getting a sub-job too.”

“You want to be a multi-class?”

“Yes, I want to improve my scroll production skills.”

Although Jude was already good in drawing scrolls or magic circles, it was mostly
limited to basic magic.

One needed a corresponding magic ability in order to add high-ranking magic spells
in scrolls.

“Hmm, that’s good. You’ve put enough thought on how to become stronger. Noona is
very happy that her Jude is growing well.”

Cordelia patted and stroked Jude’s hair, and Jude quietly accepted her stroking.

Because it felt strangely good.

The two talked for a long time like that.

When Jude and Cordelia reached the top of the hill, they both looked at the same
place.
“Ahhhhhh!”

A man dressed in white clothes was running like crazy on the white snowfield.

It was a place where there were no people in the first place, so instead of crying for
help, he was just screaming.

And right behind that man.

A giant monster was running on the snow, making the ground shake with its every
step.

“Wow, is that a White Giant Bear? So that’s what it looks like before it was
corrupted.”

“It’s bigger than I thought though?”

It looked to be around six meters tall.

“I suppose we’ll have to save him, right?”

“Because we don’t refuse quests.”

Cordelia jumped down from behind Jude’s back, and Jude stretched out his waist and
slightly loosened the muscles of his hands and feet.

“He runs well.”

“You’re right.”

Despite his short limbs, the man who was running away was quite a few feet away, or
rather, he was really fast.

That was why Jude and Cordelia didn’t rush right in.

“But don’t you think we’ve seen him somewhere?”

“He has short limbs but is incredibly fast.”

“Dwarf.”
“Black beard and bald head.”

“Ah, his hat flew away.”

The running man’s hat flew away, and they were able to see his bald head shining
under the sun.

“Maybe it’s him.”

“Indiana Kaplan.”

“An adventurer and archeologist of the Argon Empire.”

“A man whose bad luck is strong. Troublemaker. One who attracts misfortune.”

He was a great man who had explored numerous ruins and had brilliant
achievements, but he was also a man who was always in trouble, just like his
nickname.

Because of this, he was one of the NPCs that the beginners of Legend of Heroes 2
should avoid meeting once.

But not for the rotten waters Jude and Cordelia.

On the contrary, he was a very welcome figure.

“So he was here at this point.”

“Uh… then, wouldn’t he still live if we didn’t save him here?”

“I’m not sure about that. Anyway, let’s save him. He’s really going to be killed at this
rate.”

Cordelia let down the backpack, and Jude kicked the ground. He immediately cried
out to Cordelia, who caught up with him using <Haste> magic.

“I’ll show you something good!”

“Bullsh*t!”
However, Jude saw that Cordelia’s eyes were twinkling in anticipation. Moreover,
there were still new skills that Jude had not shown to Cordelia.

“Take care of Kaplan!”

“Okay!”

Jude and Cordelia moved as swift as an arrow.

As they passed through the snowfield with a strong whirlwind, Kaplan and the White
Giant Bear, who were in a breathless chase, turned to the two.

“Huu…”

Jude exhaled. At that moment, he spurred on the ground and used the Black Wind’s
Advent, and the black wind’s swirling motion blocked White Giant Bear’s view.

“Kuooooo!”

The White Giant Bear who was chasing Kaplan on all fours, jumped up and roared.
However, it couldn’t see Jude despite widening its view.

The monster was wondering what had happened.

The White Giant Bear hurriedly looked around.

At that very moment, Cordelia grabbed Kaplan’s arm and looked up at the sky with
an exclamation.

“Oh?”

The black wind soared into the sky.

In a place that was over a dozen meters away, Jude landed on the ground. And he
stretched out his hand towards the White Giant Bear.

Thereby releasing it from his hand.

A dragon’s roar shook the air around them!

Roaaaaaaaaar-!

The black dragon’s force was released. With its mouth wide open as if it were a real
dragon, it charged and swallowed the head of the White Giant Bear.

Boooooom!

The White Giant Bear collapsed with a loud noise. However, the Black Dragon’s
power did not stop. It didn’t stop crushing the monster as it shook the ground. The
snow that were within a dozen meter radius were scattered at once by the intense
airwaves, exposing the ground.

“Wow.”

At the time when Cordelia admired its earth-shattering power, Kaplan opened his
mouth in surprise.

Jude landed on the chest of the fainted White Giant Bear.

As it was the first time he used his new skill, it consumed more than half of his inner
Qi due to him excessively allocating power to it, but he was satisfied with the result.

“What do you think?”

At Jude’s question, Cordelia replied with applause.

But the time for the two to enjoy it was too short. Because the ground suddenly
began shaking despite the fact that the Black Dragon Release Technique had already
ended.

“Jude?”

“Kaplan.”

Jude said, and Cordelia’s eyes widely opened.

Troublemaker Kaplan.

A man of bad luck who makes a bolt of lightning fall even when the sky is clear.
“F*ck.”

At the end of Cordelia’s swearing…

The ground collapsed.

They all began to fall down.

“Cordelia!”

“I leave Kaplan to you!”

They didn’t realize it because of the snow, but the place where they were standing
was actually a gap between the cliffs of the canyon.

Cordelia hurriedly grabbed Kaplan and used <Fly> magic to reduce their falling
speed, while Jude kicked the debris as he created a whirlwind.

“Jude!”

“Don’t worry!”

Golden whirlwinds spun around Jude, and he used the whirlwinds to reduce his
falling speed, as well as kicking the vertical sides of the canyon several times to
prevent himself from falling vertically.

It was obviously not easy.

Twenty-Four Gale Steps was a footwork technique that could also be used as a
fighting skill, but it wasn’t a flying skill that could be used to travel through the sky.

Jude focused and concentrated again.

At the same time that he created new whirlwinds, he read the direction of the wind
between the cliffs.

While riding on the wind, he estimated in his mind the trajectory of his fall.
He kicked the sides again.

He corrected his trajectory and looked around him. He couldn’t see anything, but he
felt everything through his senses.

It got darker and darker.

Then came a sound.

The sound of the rubble that had fallen first.

It wasn’t a splashing sound.

It wasn’t a booming or breaking sound either.

Thud.

There was a snowfield below.

Though it was quite deep.

But it was clear from the sound that the snow was not completely soft. The snow
piled up below would have been frozen.

“Jude!”

He heard Cordelia’s voice once again.

Since she was using <Fly> magic, Cordelia was falling at a much more stable pace
than Jude, but Kaplan was a problem.

Though Cordelia’s physical ability had been strengthened because she was above
level 40, her arms that were holding Kaplan, who had the weight of three adult men,
were already sore and exhausted.

But she was more worried about Jude rather than her arms or fingers.

“Jude!”

Because Cordelia had already landed down, she was able to confirm Jude’s location
when she looked up.

But not for Jude. As he struggled to ride the wind while in the middle of several
whirlwinds, he found it hard to check what was below him.

“Cordelia!”

Jude shouted again. After he clearly remembered the direction from where he heard
Cordelia’s voice, he used the wind to guide him to that place.

Shwwwaaaaaaaaa-!

The strong wind pierced its way in between the canyon’s cliffs.

Jude finally landed on the ground, and he saw a small and shining light.

“Jude! Are you okay?”

It was Cordelia. Her small magical flame illuminated the pale-faced Kaplan who was
sprawled out beside her. Kaplan seemed to have fainted.

“What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

Cordelia breathed out a sigh of relief before she flopped down on the ground.

Jude approached Cordelia and looked around.

Since they were inside the very deep canyon, the surroundings were dark, and it was
abnormally cold.

Despite having the fairies’ Winter Protection, the two felt that it was still cold.

“What about Kaplan?”

“I think he fainted.”

Jude looked up at the sky again. At his estimate, the height of the cliff seemed to be
more than a hundred meters.
“I just made a crack.”

“It was surely Kaplan.”

The black dragon had certainly destroyed the ground in the end, but Jude and
Cordelia considered Kaplan as the cause of this incident.

Because in Legend of Heroes 2, Kaplan was frequently linked to such incidents.

“What do we do now?”

“Is it… impossible to go up?”

“Probably.”

If Cordelia was alone, it would have been possible with <Fly> magic, but it was
impossible for her to take both Jude and Kaplan.

“The wooden board’s not here.”

“Wouldn’t it be impossible even if it’s still here?”

“Hmm… you’re right.”

Kaplan was too heavy.

The wooden board had risen unsteadily even when there were two people on top of
it.

“Rock climbing… that won’t work with Kaplan too.”

“Yeah, it’s a little high for me too.”

Even if Jude had Cheonmujiche, climbing up a 100 meters canyon without a rope or
any other safety device was something he would refrain from doing.

“So we have no choice but to get out of this canyon?”

“Yes, I think so. Though… this could probably be good too.”

Cordelia tilted her head at Jude’s words, but soon smiled and said.

“Is it because of Kaplan?”

“It is because of Kaplan.”

Kaplan wasn’t simply unlucky.

He was a man with a strong bad luck.

He was a man who always caused accidents, but he also benefited from those
accidents.

‘I fell off the cliff and got it by chance! It’s the same situation.’

T/N: Jude was actually quoting a trope that is common in martial arts novels. The
character gets chased by villains and falls off the cliff. Somewhere under/below the
cliff, they find a superb martial arts skill book, elixir, etc., and once they learn/consume
it, they/their martial arts become stronger.

And at this moment, their group really fell off the cliff.

“Even if this is the wild lands, a canyon like this is uncommon. The direction is also
right… so it’s highly likely to be connected with Raptor Canyon.”

Moreover, the Raptor Canyon was home to the ruins of the magic kingdom that was
built by the ancient elves.

“Why is Kaplan from the Argon Empire here?”

“Is it because of the ruins of the magic kingdom?”

The two arrived at that conclusion.

When it came to ruins exploration, Kaplan was the best in Legend of Heroes 2.

Though he had an adventurous side such as always being chased by someone or

escaping from traps, he was a real archeologist.

“It’s amazing. His bad luck was real.”

They couldn’t believe that they fell down from a cliff that was hidden under the
snow.

As Cordelia blinked her eyes and looked down on Kaplan, Jude also shrugged.

“Well… this is a magical world.”

There was at least one magical person like this.

“Eh… by the way, we lost our luggage again.”

Cordelia said with a tearful face.

There were new items that they brought when they left the village of the Gentle
Snow Breeze tribe, but they lost it this time again.

“But with Kaplan’s luggage, it’ll work out somehow.”

Jude said in consolation, and he looked around again before waking up Kaplan.

Because it was Kaplan, so he had to look around just in case.

“Wow, it’s real.”

“What?”

“I mean, there’s a place where we could take a rest.”

They saw a small cave that had a low entrance, but it looked to be good enough for a
place where they could rest.

“How miraculous.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

Jude and Cordelia grabbed each of Kaplan’s legs and arms and trudged towards the
cave. Once they arrived, they let out voices of admiration again.

“Wow, for real.”

“How is this even possible?”

Because when they saw it up close, it was not a natural cave but an artificial one.

Although it was worn out by the long passage of time, they were able to ascertain
that the words inscribed in the cave was the ancient elf language.

“I think we must be really near the Raptor Canyon.”

Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why inscriptions of the ancient elves suddenly
appeared in the canyon.

Cordelia stared at the fainted Kaplan’s face as if he was really amazing, while Jude
frowned as he tried to interpret the ancient elf language.

It wasn’t because he didn’t know how to read the ancient elf language, but rather, the
erosion was so severe that it was difficult to recognize the letters.

A few seconds passed by like that.

This time, it was Jude who let out an astounded voice.

“What on earth…”

“Why? Is it a treasure trove?”

“No, it was just so out of the blue. No, is there anything more unexpected than this?”

“What the hell is it?”

“Hot spring.”

“Eh?”

“Hot spring.”

Cordelia blinked her eyes as Jude repeated what he said. And soon, she let go of
Kaplan’s hands that she was holding and then shouted.

“Hot spring?!”
“Yes, hot spring. By the way, Kaplan’s head fell off first.”

Fortunately, Kaplan was not hurt because of the piled-up snow.

Cordelia slightly stooped and carried Kaplan by the arms again before she asked
Jude.

“Really? It’s really, really a hot spring? Does it say hot spring?”

“Yes, perhaps there’s something like an underground water vein here.”

“Is it still there? It should still work. It still works, right?!”

“I don’t know. Suppose that it doesn’t work, isn’t having a bathtub more important?”

“You’re right. If it’s a hot spring, there’ll be a place where you can put water.”

“You can pour water and then boil it.”

“Wooww, hot spring. Bath. I’ll be bathing after an incredibly long time!”

Cordelia had not been able to take a proper bath since coming to the wild lands.

She had sweat a lot these days, so rather than a treasure trove, a hot spring was more
welcome to her right now.

“He’s really lucky, so lucky.”

Cordelia giggled as she looked at Kaplan with affection. If Jude left her alone, it
seemed like she would even kiss Kaplan’s head.

Because of that, Jude hastily opened his mouth.

“Anyway, let’s quickly go in.”

“Yes!”

Cordelia brightly answered as she hummed and entered the cave, and soon, the two
marveled at the place again.
“It’s real.”

“It’s a real bathhouse.”

There were a lot of places that were worn down or broken after a long time, but the
inside of the cave, which was much wider than expected, was a bathhouse itself.

There were large bathtubs made of stone that were in between several pillars.

What was more surprising was the fact that the hot spring water was still surging.

“Huhuhu. Hehehe.”

“Co-Cordelia?”

“I love it. I’m so happy.”

Cordelia said as she shed emotional tears before she laid down Kaplan on a flat floor
and then looked at Jude.

“I’ll wash first.”

“O-okay.”

Because taking a bath was important.

Jude searched around and found some things to burn so he set it on fire, while
Cordelia took a seat in front of the stone bath that was deep inside the bathhouse.

“Thank you. Just, thank you.”

After Cordelia finished praying to someone unknown, she checked the water quality
and the temperature first.

She wasn’t that sure, but it seemed to her that the water was quite clear, and the
temperature was just right.

No, this was enough for her to believe that someone was responsible for this.

“Kaplan is the best. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Cordelia held her hands together in prayer, and afterwards, she immediately began
to take off her clothes.

As he was standing guard, Jude flinched when he heard the sound of her taking off
her clothes, but Cordelia only had the bath in her mind. She didn’t hear Jude
suddenly chanting Buddhist scriptures and sutras.

“Thank you.”

She expressed her gratitude again and then got in.

“Ahhh…”

She had only dipped the tip of her foot, but she felt like a shiver ran up her spine.

Cordelia slowly entered into the water, and soon dipped her whole body into the
bath.

The depth was just right, so when she crouched, only her neck and head were out of
the water.

“Haaaaa…”

How long has it been since I’ve taken a bath?

It’s not that she didn’t wash herself properly with a wet towel or put up with it when
she sweated or not, but it really had been a long time since she had a proper bath.

Along with the hot steam, happiness spread all over Cordelia’s face, and her lips
naturally opened wide. She began to sing a heartfelt song like a whisper.

“Twinkle, twinkle little star~ Shining beautifully~”

She couldn’t stop smiling. Her whole body seemed to melt.

And at that very moment.

“Wow, look at her. She’s very pretty.”

“Really pretty.”
“What, what, who came to our bathhouse? Wow! So pretty! Respect!”

T/N: Respect here is pronounced as ‘respect’ in Korean too. It’s meaning though, has
nothing to do with the English definition of respect. In Korean, its meaning is more of
‘good job’ or ‘you did great’. So the person saying ‘respect’ here is more like saying that
Cordelia did a good job looking pretty or something.

It was a story pattern that she heard somewhere before.

When she thought about it, she was familiar with the situation itself.

Baths.

Song.

The most beautiful girl.

“Hey, hey, won’t you play with us?”

“That’s right, that’s right. Play with us.”

“If it’s her, she can play in the night banquet.”

At the sound of their chattering, Cordelia opened her eyes and saw them.

There were tiny and pretty fairies with animal ears on their heads, as well as tails on
their backs, like that of dogs and cats.

They were the wild fairies, one of the 8 great fairies.

Terms used in this chapter:

Female sage – Also known as Taoist fairy, female immortal, and angel/fairy but in
the Korean traditional style. I’ll use ‘female sage’ to differentiate it from the fairies
and fairy queens of the series.

Multi-class – It means having multiple classes or jobs in games.

There were various types of fairies in Pleiades, but in general, they could be
classified into eight types.

These were the seasonal fairies that symbolized the four seasons of spring, summer,
fall, and winter, and the four types of elemental fairies that symbolized the elements
of Feng Shui.

T/N: Feng Shui actually has five elements, not four, which are wood, fire, earth, metal,
and water.

The wild fairies belonged to the elemental fairies, and they had the power of earth,
which symbolized vitality.

‘In terms of physical ability, they’re the strongest among the fairies, I think?’

However, they were still fairies.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Your skin is so pretty. Can I touch it? Can I? I can? Okay, I’ll touch it.”

“Me too, me too.”

Seeing them behave as they pleased, they were undoubtedly fairies.

Cordelia then thought as she watched the fairies nuzzle her cheeks and shoulders.

‘Why did they appear here?’

Though it made sense for wild fairies to appear in the wild lands.

‘It is a fact that fairies are scattered everywhere.’

In order to meet the wild fairies in Legend of Heroes 2 originally, one had to go to the
border between the Argon Empire and the wild land.

But like how the Fairy Queen was not a single individual, the wild fairies were also
not a single group.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a pretty girl.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Except for us, only animals live here.”

“How’s the bathhouse? Do you like it? We managed it.”

As the fairies began to chatter, the tranquil bathhouse quickly became noisy.

Jude, who was trying to act natural and not pay attention to her as much as possible,
also heard the voices.

“Cordelia? Are you okay? What’s the matter?”

“Eh? Uh… well…”

It was when Cordelia’s words trailed off in the end. The wild fairies turned their
gazes towards Jude and opened their mouths almost simultaneously.

“Wow!”

“Handsome!”

“Who is he?”

“Let’s play with him too!”

“…Fairy?”

The last one was Jude.

Cordelia said after she deeply sighed as if she eventually gave up.

“It’s the wild fairies.”

“Oh! Wild fairies!”

The reason why Jude’s face became bright was simple.

The Great Protection of the Four Seasons could be obtained by collecting all the
protections of the four types of seasonal fairies.

The Great Protection of the Four Elements could be obtained by collecting all the
protections of the four types of elemental fairies.

And one more.

Only those who have collected the Great Protection of the Four Seasons and the
Great Protection of the Four Elements could obtain one of the three strongest
protections in the Legend of Heroes series, which is the ‘Fairy King’s Protection,’ a
protection on the level of fantasy since no one had ever obtained it.

‘As expected of Kaplan!’

He never thought that they would meet the wild fairies here.

It was then that Jude remembered the words of Gentle Snow Breeze.

‘Didn’t she say that there were several mysterious races left in Raptor Canyon?’

Perhaps, besides the wild fairies, there were other pleasant surprises waiting for
them.

“Do you know us?”

“Do you want to hang out with us?”

“Let’s take a bath together!”

“Should I do that?”

“Are you crazy?!”

When Jude grinned and responded to the fairies’ suggestion, Cordelia immediately
reacted, and Jude clicked his tongue.
“It didn’t work.”

“Stop saying bullsh*t and just cover your eyes with a blindfold.”

“Why a blindfold?”

“Because I will continue to bathe. I just got in the water.”

Amidst the conversation between Jude and Cordelia, the wild fairies looked at each
other and said.

“Why, why, why would he cover his eyes?”

“I’ve read something like this in a book.”

“Really? Was the cover red by any chance?”

At that moment, Cordelia wanted to refute it, but her opponent was a fairy.

Having already experienced how the fall and winter fairies acted, she simply waited
instead of protesting, and soon, the blindfolded Jude slowly entered and arrived near
the bathtub where Cordelia was in.

“He’s handsome even if his eyes are covered.”

“I like it.”

While the fairies were admiring Jude’s boyish face as if it was an exhibition, Cordelia
soaked her head into the water and then resurfaced, before she wiped her entire
body and opened her mouth.

“Fairies, let’s play together?”

“Yes, yes, we’ll invite you to the night banquet.”

“Ah! Also! It’s not just that.”

“Not just that?”

“The Queen said so. If you find someone that can help us, bring them.”
“That’s right, that’s right. I remember.”

Someone who could help.

The silent Jude immediately cut in.

“What do you need help with?”

“Yes! We have an old problem, and we can’t solve it.”

“The Queen said she’d give a prize to the one who brought someone who’ll help.”

“Then the prize is mine?”

“It’s mine, why is it yours?”

As the fairies began bickering and quarreling, a fairy with rabbit ears stealthily
approached Cordelia and said.

“Let’s go quickly while they’re fighting, okay?”

“…You’re just like humans.”

“What do you mean?”

Cordelia bitterly smiled at the rabbit-eared fairy who asked innocently, and after
getting out of the bathtub, she used magic to dry her head and body.

“Uh… I want to wear new clothes.”

But she had no choice. She didn’t have time to launder her clothes.

She picked up and wore her clothes that were scattered before she approached Jude,
who was sitting on the floor nearby with his eyes blindfolded.

“You can take it off now.”

“Eh? We’ll take a bath together?”

“Stop with your lame jokes. You’re like an uncle when you keep saying that.”
“Ahem, ahem.”

Jude cleared his throat before he took off the blindfold and faced the wild fairies.

“I’ve heard your story well. Me and Cordelia will come to help you. Please let us meet
the Queen.”

“Yes! All right!”

“Let’s go!”

“Wait!”

The last one was Cordelia.

When the fairies and Jude looked at Cordelia together, she pointed towards the low
entrance.

“We have to bring Kaplan.”

Kaplan was stretched out on the floor in a fainted state. There was a possibility that
something might happen if they left him as it is.

“You’re right, we need to bring Kaplan.”

Jude got up from his seat and placed the wild fairies on his shoulder, but as soon as
the wild fairies saw Kaplan, they disapproved.

“We can’t do that.”

“That’s right, that’s unreasonable.”

“Why?”

“He’s bald.”

The other fairies nodded at the words of the rabbit-eared fairy, and Jude was
troubled and speechless.

“Anyway, we can’t do that.”

The wild fairies were quite resolute.

‘Can you make it possible?’

‘Aren’t you familiar with the fairies? They’re impossible to persuade.’

If it was the Fairy Queen, it would be possible to persuade her, but it was impossible
for the fairies themselves who were completely like kids.

After they finished the conversation with their eyes, Jude and Cordelia thought for a
moment on what to do before they immediately began to act.

“What’s going on, what’s going on. Why are they tying up the bald head?”

“It’s called restraint play.”

“Restraint play?”

“Yes, that’s what it is…”

“OMG.”

“Why haven’t they said anything yet?”

“Do it quickly.”

Cordelia was tormented by the fairies’ conversation, while Jude tied Kaplan tightly
with a rope from Kaplan’s luggage and laid him down inside the bathhouse.

“This is our territory, so the animals won’t come in.”

“Yes, yes, so that won’t work.”

Jude had also thought of that. He hadn’t seen a single animal hair inside the
bathhouse.

The reason why he tied up Kaplan now was because he was afraid that Kaplan would
go out of the bathhouse once he woke up.

‘We haven’t picked the mulberries yet.’

T/N: This is actually based on the Korean proverb, ‘meet one’s loved one as well as pick
mulberries.’ It is an expression which means that two things can be achieved at the
same time. An English equivalent would be ‘to kill two birds with one stone.’ So what
Jude meant is that they had met the loved one (the fairies), but not picked the
mulberries yet (they haven’t achieved their other purpose yet).

Thanks to him, they met the wild fairies, but they had yet to reach the ruins of the
magic kingdom.

It was impossible for them to just let go of Kaplan, who would be a lot useful in the
future.

“You’re wicked as expected.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Jude said and bowed as if he was in a play, and then used a pencil he found in
Kaplan’s luggage to write down in a piece of paper.

It was full of aristocratic and posh words, but in the end, it could be summarized into
one line as follows:

‘We saved you. So don’t be afraid and just wait. We’ll be right back.’

“Wouldn’t he think that he was kidnapped?”

“But we have no choice.”

Because they had to resolve the wild fairies’ problem first.

Jude tied a new rope to the ankle of the tightly bound Kaplan and then tied the other
end of the rope to the bathhouse column.

“Okay, let’s go now.”

“But Jude. Why are you so good in tying ropes?”

“I learned it from the Boy Scouts.”

Jude tactfully dismissed her question and then approached the wild fairies, who
were having an intense and heated conversation. When they saw Jude and Cordelia,
they all squealed.

“Don’t ask me what they talked about.”

Jude nodded at the words of Cordelia, who seemed to be exhausted already, and then
asked the wild fairies.

“Would you take us to the Queen?”

“Yes! Let’s go!”

The wild fairies flapped their wings and gathered around Jude and Cordelia, and
afterwards, it was the same experience as before.

When they closed and opened their eyes, they were standing in a completely
different place.

“Oh… did we arrive here right away this time?”

It was not the living place where the ordinary fairies lived.

They were in the Queen’s residence.

If the Fall Fairy Queen’s abode was elegant and the Winter Fairy Queen’s home was
refined, the Wild Fairy Queen’s residence was overflowing with life.

‘It’s just random if you put it in a bad way.’

There were various kinds of flowers and trees that were randomly placed inside.

But still, she was the Fairy Queen.

The countless flowers and trees seemed to be in harmony of each other, so it didn’t
look disordered.

“Human children. Nice to meet you.”

Jude and Cordelia looked at the place where the deep and profound voice that was
different from the other fairies came.
Seated in a large sunflower was the Fairy Queen with a lioness’ ears and tail.

“Jude Bayer greets the Wild Fairy Queen.”

“Cordelia Chase greets the Wild Fairy Queen.”

A smile spread over the Fairy Queen’s face when Jude and Cordelia courteously
greeted her.

With voluminous red hair and impressive fangs, she was wearing a short mini dress
that was comfortable and looked easy to move in, unlike the other Fairy Queens who
wore stylish dresses.

But she was still a Fairy Queen.

Instead of having a mischievous girl’s face, her face was full of maturity and
benevolence.

“You are not ordinary humans. You’re very powerful. So children, I have a favor to ask
of you. Please solve our problem.”

It was a slightly different pattern than before.

But it wasn’t a bad pattern.

The story might change a little depending on what their problem was, but it was
much easier to sponge off them in this current situation.

‘Your eyes look evil.’

‘Aren’t yours the same too?’

Jude and Cordelia quickly exchanged glances before they looked back at the Fairy
Queen almost at the same time, and the Fairy Queen spoke in a serious tone.

“Human children, a monster with an evil power appeared on the road connecting our
Wild Fairy’s residence and the High Elves’ kingdom. Can you get rid of the monster
and reopen the road?”

The fairies could cross time and space, but that did not mean they could freely jump
over space anytime and anywhere.

As the means to leap a long distance was limited, the physical road was also
important, but a monster seemed to be blocking that road.

“Can you tell us what kind of monster it is?”

At Cordelia’s question, the Fairy Queen chanted a short spell. Then something like a
video played in the minds of Jude and Cordelia.

It had a bull’s head and giant back wings, and its body was pitch-black from head to
toe.

It was evidently Lacto, a lower-class demon species from hell.

‘Just as I thought.’

‘It’s understandable why the fairies are asking for help.’

Even though it was a lower-class species, Lacto was still a demon from hell.

Even if it wasn’t, for the fairies who rarely fought in battles, it was an opponent they
had no way of defeating.

“Can you do it?”

When the Fairy Queen asked with a nervous face, Jude and Cordelia unhesitatingly
nodded.

“We can do it.”

“We’ll try.”

“Oh… thank you very much.”

The Fairy Queen was relieved, and Jude and Cordelia looked at each other before
Jude spoke first.

“By the way, Fairy Queen.”

“You can tell me.”

“We need help too.”

“Help?”

“Yes, help.”

A smile deepened on Jude’s face, and Cordelia’s eyes slightly narrowed.

Jude continued his words.

“Fairy Queen, may we ask you for the Earth Protection?”

“No problem. I will give you the Protection.”

After the Fairy Queen generously spoke, Jude and Cordelia immediately held out the
Fairy’s Bonds.

“Thank you very much.”

“My goodness, it’s the Fairy’s Bonds. I haven’t seen it for a long time.”

The Fairy Queen innocently smiled and gave the Earth Protection.

It was a protection that strengthened the overall physical ability and also granted its
user a weak regenerative power.

“Are you ready now?”

“Yes, we need the next help now.”

“Okay, good… next help?”

“Yes, next help.”

Jude instantly answered to the Fairy Queen who blinked her eyes, and then
continued his words.

“Fairy Queen, we need weapons to fight the monster.”

“Uh… don’t you already have weapons?”

The Fairy Queen’s gaze quickly moved back and forth towards the Eastern Warrior’s
Sword on Jude’s waist and the Moonlight that Cordelia was holding.

However, Jude gave a firm answer again.

“This is not enough. Because the opponent is a demon.”

“He’s right. We need a stronger weapon.”

Cordelia followed up even if he didn’t ask her to.

The Fairy Queen said after a moment’s consideration.

“Hmm… I don’t know much about human weapons. So children, how about I show
you the stuff left behind by the High Elves and you can choose your own weapon
from there?”

“Thank you very much.”

“We’ve been waiting for those words.”

It was an immediate answer again.

At that moment, the Fairy Queen felt strange and hesitated for a while, but she soon
crossed the space with Jude and Cordelia.

“You can open your eyes now.”

It was a stone building.

It was very old and dilapidated everywhere, but its elegance could not be erased by
the passage of time, as it remained in every corner of the place, such as in the pillars,
walls, ceiling, floor, and so on.

It was the architectural style of the High Elves, who were also known as the ancient
elves.

The spacious room looked to be around 10 meters in height and width. The ceiling
was also quite high, and it seemed to be 7 meters high, and all the columns were
attached to the wall, making the space itself look completely open.

And the most important thing.

Various items were placed on the decorated cabinets located between the columns.

Now that they had seen it, it really seemed to be a place where the High Elves stored
their collected items, rather than an armory.

“Take your time. Call me when you’re done choosing.”

Having said that, the Fairy Queen instantly crossed the space and disappeared.

So Jude and Cordelia were left in the end.

With no one to notice their inner thoughts anymore, or rather, no one noticed how
they had acted until now, the two became much more relaxed and spoke
simultaneously.

“I’m left.”

“I’m right.”

The division of labor began right away. And in the first display cabinet, Cordelia’s
breath halted.

“No way.”

Why did this item appear here?

At the top section of the beautiful display cabinet was a golden brooch with a big red
gem.

As an item of the High Elves, Cordelia could feel its magical power, and she already
knew the name of this brooch.

“Spell’s Echo.”

Its effect was simple and powerful.

It repeatedly cast the spell used by the caster.

In other words, if Cordelia cast the <Spear of Calamity> while wearing the Spell’s
Echo, two Spears of Calamity would be cast.

As a matter of course, it was an item that couldn’t be abused because the mana
consumption was also doubled, but it was a huge advantage to be able to use two
spells at the same time in an emergency.

“This is it, it’s absolutely this.”

She didn’t have to look at anything else.

The thrilled Cordelia picked up the Spell’s Echo with trembling hands and carefully
attached it to her chest.

“Jude! I’ve decided! It’s the Spell’s Echo!”

As she turned around and shouted loudly, Jude immediately responded.

“What?! The Spell’s Echo?!”

Cordelia felt a thrilling pleasure at seeing Jude’s face in great shock.

“Yes, yes, it’s the Spell’s Echo. I choose this one. I don’t even need to look at anything
else.”

Because it was impossible that an item better than this would appear.

Jude agreed.

Among the items currently available at Cordelia’s level, there were only one to two
items that were better than the Spell’s Echo, even in the whole Legend of Heroes
series.

Depending on the user’s disposition, the Spell’s Echo was even used as a graduation
item.

But Jude soon shook his head.

“What are you talking about? You have to keep looking.”

“Huh? Ah… yes. I’ll look for something you can use.”

“No, it’s not that. You have to look for something YOU can use.”

“Eh? I already chose Spell’s Echo?”

“Are you going to take just that?”

“Eh?”

“Are you going to take only that?”

Cordelia blinked several times at Jude’s words and soon realized what he meant.

This was reality and not a game.

Moreover, the Fairy Queen never said that they could only choose one item.

“Aaah, aaaah!”

When Cordelia’s eyes reflected her enlightenment, Jude smiled and said.

“We’ll need a lot of weapons to fight the demon.”

“Yes, because the opponent is a demon!”

“That’s right, so let’s fully arm ourselves to fight the demon.”

“Yes, yes, a full set from head to toe. Full, full, set, set!”

Cordelia cheerfully shouted and ran back to the display cabinet, and Jude pleasantly
watched Cordelia before looking back at the cabinets.

‘The Earth Protection and the High Elves’ armor.’

But that wasn’t all.

There were still some rewards left after they had defeated the monster.
‘Fairies are so nice.’

With a blissful smile, Jude stepped towards the right cabinet.

***

“Is that… all that you needed?”

“Yes, I need everything.”

Terms used in this chapter:

Graduation item – a Korean gaming slang that refers to the very best of the top-tier
items. If you collect this item, you might as well ‘graduate’ or stop collecting other
items of the same type since it is the very best item of its type already. Nothing else
can surpass it.
“Is that… all that you needed?”

“Yes, I need everything.”

As Cordelia spoke with a big smile, the Wild Fairy Queen moved her head up and
down again.

She was glittering.

She was really glittering.

Cordelia’s slender and long fingers were wearing numerous rings from her thumb to
the ring finger, and even though she had a brooch on her chest, she was wearing
another necklace.

It didn’t end there.

Bracelets.

Belts.

Earrings.

Despite wearing boots, she had ankle bracelets.

How the heck is that girl wearing all that?

Perhaps she was wearing something on the toes of her feet too.

In addition to the glittering and shining ornaments of the brightly smiling Cordelia,
she also had a tiara with blue jewels on top of her head that was together with the
rabbit ears headband.
Everything was colorful and sparkling.

It was a terrible assortment of fashion accessories, and while Jude was admiring the
beauty of Cordelia who still looked pretty even in the midst of this, the Fairy Queen
looked back at Jude with a miserable face.

“You too?”

“Yes, me too.”

Actually, Jude wasn’t that much different from Cordelia.

All his ten fingers had rings, and he had different earrings on each ear. There were
also necklaces on his neck, belts on his waist, and bracelets on his arms. In addition
to the Eastern Warrior’s Sword and the Bicorn’s horn dagger, there was also a
beautiful elven sword on his waist. A new dagger was also attached to his thigh.

And their clothing.

Cordelia wore a gorgeous red cape on her back, while Jude wore a very large purple
coat.

All of the High Elves’ legacies were magical items, whether they were strong or weak.

“It’s sparkly.”

“They’re shining.”

“Pretty! Handsome!”

While the fairies were thoughtlessly squealing, the Fairy Queen still had a dubious
look on her face.

Because there was no unity in their equipment.

Unlike the fairies who were completely like kids, the Fairy Queen was an adult.

In her eyes, it was very clear that the effects of the two rings, a ring that enhanced
the flame attribute and a ring that enhanced the cold attribute, would cancel out
each other.
But they needed all that?

“We need it. We really, really need it.”

As Cordelia pressed her hands together to emphasize their necessity of it, Jude
followed up in his mind.

‘Not now, but later.’

In fact, there was nothing much remarkable if one assessed the items individually.

As the Fairy Queen had seen, there were a lot of items whose effects canceled each
other out.

But what’s wrong with that?

Let’s just take it and see.

If they had no use for it, they could just sell it.

‘Take as much as you can when you have the opportunity to take as much as you can.’

It’s better for them to let it sit around in their bags and not use it rather than leaving
it and letting it be damaged by time.

‘It’s a justifiable mindset.’

Jude nodded at himself before he looked at Cordelia and the Fairy Queen again.

It was questionable if Cordelia’s persuasion worked well, but the Fairy Queen
eventually nodded despite looking at them doubtfully.

“Okay. Then let’s go to where the monster is.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“We will meet your expectations.”

Jude and Cordelia promptly responded, and the Fairy Queen had a gracious smile
again as she was a little relieved.
“Close your eyes.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You’re really good at answering. You’re pretty too.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

When Cordelia closed her eyes and behaved politely again, the Fairy Queen’s smile
also deepened.

“You can open your eyes now.”

She was indeed the Fairy Queen.

They didn’t feel like they had moved at all, but when they opened their eyes, they
were inside a huge cavity and not the forest of fairies.

It was unknown if this was underground or above ground, but it seemed to be a huge
cavity that was made by digging into the mountain or ground.

‘I saw this in the Lord of the Rings.’

Jude nodded at Cordelia’s gaze before he took a look around.

‘There it is.’

There was a bridge between the precipice, and in the middle of that bridge, a giant
demon was sitting in a crouched position.

‘Lacto.’

If there was a Tomb Guardian in Heaven, there was a Lacto in Hell.

Lacto’s role was usually that of a gatekeeper, and it looked like its Minotaur cousin. It
was a slow-witted demon, but it boasted a terrifying power.

“Can you defeat it?”

The worried Fairy Queen asked in low voice, and Cordelia immediately nodded her
head.

“Certainly. You can watch us.”

At her confident declaration, the faces of the fairies and the Fairy Queen brightened.

“Jude, Jude. Since our opponent is Lacto, you know what to do, right?”

“I know.”

Jude lightly loosened his wrists and swayed his head several times before he said
again.

“I’m ready. What about you?”

“I’m ready too.”

Cordelia clenched Moonlight as she took a deep breath before she stepped forward.

And Lacto reacted to their movement.

The demon who was stiff and not moving as if it was a rock, opened its eyes in a flash
and saw Jude and Cordelia approaching the bridge. It slowly spread out its wings as
it stood up.

“Its weapons are a double-edged axe and a large shield. There’s also a whip on the
waist.”

“Judging from its eyes, it looks like a low- to mid-class Lacto.”

“But it’s still a demon.”

“Yes, a demon.”

Even a common low-ranking demonic human was a ridiculous existence that can rip
someone into shreds.

Although there was tension in Jude and Cordelia’s footsteps, they were not scared.

When they finally arrived in front of the bridge…

“Kekeke… I haven’t tasted blood for a long time.”

An unpleasant voice that sounded like the scratching of iron came out of Lacto’s
mouth.

The fairies, who were watching from behind, hugged each other in fear, but Jude and
Cordelia were rather relieved.

‘It’s the lines of a small fry.’

‘Let’s stick to the plan.’

Lacto was on the bridge.

Jude started. He stomped hard on the ground and created a golden whirlwind. As his
aura wrapped around his body, everyone including Lacto had no choice but to focus
their gazes on Jude.

“Kekeke… it looks like you want to fight.”

Lacto said and Jude smiled. As Lacto took a step forward, it put down its axe and
grabbed its whip.

And at that very moment…

Cordelia began to chant the spell. The fairies were surprised at the gathering of
powerful mana and turned to Cordelia, and Lacto flinched before raising its shield.

“Spell’s Echo.”

She activated it. It echoed Cordelia’s spell and created another magic spell.

The mana surged.

The whirlwinds rose.

Lacto released a powerful aura all over its body. A purple aura gathered on the shield
as it prepared to block whatever attack the two had in plan.

And right after…

When the Fairy Queen and everyone else held their breath…

Cordelia released the gathered mana with the Moonlight. Instead of rushing towards
Lacto, it struck the ground!

Baaaaaaang!

The bridge shook. A black energy spread all over the bridge, and the magic that she
had already invoked was repeated by the Spell’s Echo again.

Booooooom!

A crack formed. Numerous lines spread all over the bridge, as if the whole bridge
was covered by a spider web.

And Jude used his skill.

When the black dragon’s energy was released towards the ground, black energy
soared between the cracks.

“Eh.”

The Fairy Queen said, and Lacto looked under his feet. Cordelia smiled and waved
her hand.

“Goodbye.”

It crashed.

The cracked bridge literally fell and crashed, and Lacto who was on top of it also
plummeted.

They heard a succession of screams.

Cordelia nodded with a satisfied face, and Jude turned towards the Fairy Queen.

“We defeated it!”

They did do it.

Lacto.

And the bridge.

“Th-the bridge is gone!”

The Fairy Queen cried as she flew towards Jude and Cordelia.

She asked them to get rid of the monster blocking the road, but not the bridge itself.

When the Fairy Queen who was brimming with emotion tried to shout again, Jude
hurriedly raised his hand to stop her.

“No, no. It’s okay.”

“What the hell do you mean it’s okay!”

The bridge was gone!

As the Fairy Queen unconsciously held the back of her neck, Cordelia said.

“But fairies have wings.”

“What?”

“You have wings, so you can just fly.”

Lacto, who was obstructing the road, disappeared.

The bridge was also gone, but the fairies could fly in the first place, so the bridge was
not necessary.

“Isn’t that right?”

The Fairy Queen felt dizzy at her rather logical words, and Jude said with a smile.

“Fairy Queen, I apologize, but could you step back for a while?”

“I should… step back?”

“Because it’s not yet over.”

The last one was said by Cordelia.

She looked back at Jude and began to count downwards, and Jude also joined
Cordelia.

“5.”

“4.”

“3.”

“2.”

““1!””

The two shouted at the same time, and at that moment, a roar filled the air.

“Uooooooh!”

It was Lacto. With its bat wings stretched out, Lacto flew up and angrily roared as it
saw Jude and Cordelia, who had already activated the magic she had prepared in
advance.

“<Wind Cutter>.”

The Spell’s Echo repeated her spell again.

A sharp wind blade flew towards the target. With a high-pitched sound, it hit and
injured Lacto’s wings.

“Goodbye again.”

“Holy Cross Punch.”

Jude drove the Holy Cross Punch towards Lacto.

Because it got hit by the golden cross and its flapping wings were no longer moving
properly, Lacto lost its balance at once and plummeted once again.
“Guaaaaaah!”

Boooom!

Jude and Cordelia looked back at the Fairy Queen, and the Fairy Queen blinked her
eyes and opened her lips with difficulty.

“Uh…”

“Let’s finish our conversation. Since fairies have wings, they won’t suffer any
inconveniences in using this road even if there’s no bridge.”

“B-but…”

“Think about it. Now that there’s no bridge, there won’t be any monsters like Lacto
who’ll block the bridge.”

If bees gathered in the flower garden, then they should destroy the flower garden
itself to get rid of the bees. It was pure nonsense, but the ones who were listening to
him was the fairies.

“Wow! You’re right!”

“How clever!”

“Without a bridge, there won’t be any more monsters!”

As the fairies rejoiced, Cordelia smiled and glanced at the Fairy Queen, and Jude said
again with a smile.

“This is all thanks to you, Your Majesty.”

“Eh?”

“Thanks to generously giving out such valuable equipment, we were able to destroy
the bridge, which was the main cause of everything.”

“He’s right, this is all thanks to the Fairy Queen.”

“Let’s give a round of applause for the Fairy Queen!”

“Wooow!”

Jude spoke and Cordelia incited the fairies to do something absurd.

The fairies were joyous in nature, so when Cordelia began to clap, they also began
clapping.

“Long live the Queen!”

“Hooray!”

“Hurray!”

They managed to convince them.

In the end, the Fairy Queen had no choice but to awkwardly smile.

“Uh… uh… yes, yes. You did well.”

“Wow, wow! Our Queen is the best!”

“Hurrah for the Queen!”

“The Queen is so pretty!”

The last one was Cordelia.

Cordelia knew the fairies quite well since she had been harassed by them in the past.

“Ahem, ahem.”

The Fairy Queen was still a fairy after all.

She blushed with delight at the words saying that she was pretty, and Jude and
Cordelia looked at each other.

‘You think it’s okay now?’

‘Yes, all we have to do is finish our job.’

The true end goal for this job.

But before that, there was still one more work left to do.

“Your Majesty, please step back for a while again.”

At Cordelia’s words, the Fairy Queen tilted her head, but she soon retreated, and Jude
and Cordelia exchanged glances as they started counting down again.

“5.”

“4.”

“3.”

“2.”

““1!””

“Uooooooooh!”

The bloody Lacto stuck out its head. Since it had been injured from its fall, its right
horn was broken, and blood bled from its head.

“Kuuuuu…”

Rage.

Hatred.

Anger.

The angry monster had crept up the precipice and tried to leap at them at that
moment.

But it was too late.

Jude was standing on top of a magical hand, and the two were already in position.

“It’s goodbye at this point.”

“Bye, bye.”

Jude strongly stepped on the hand that was supporting him, and Cordelia pushed
him away with a magical force.

“Aaaaaaah!”

With a grievous scream, Lacto crashed down once again.

It tried to hurl curses at the wickedly smiling Jude and Cordelia at the top of the
precipice, but the speed of the fall was too fast for it to do that.

And it crashed again.

“Oh, level up.”

“We defeated it.”

Having seen the pure white rings that surrounded them, Jude and Cordelia smiled in
satisfaction before they looked back at the Fairy Queen.

“We defeated it.”

“You can relax now.”

“Y-yes.”

The Fairy Queen unconsciously stuttered and then composed herself with deep
breaths.

Since the monster was gone, their problem was solved.

But why?

Why do I still have a bad feeling?

The answer came before her eyes.

“Your Majesty.”
“Yes?”

“Please hand out the final reward.”

“Reward? What reward?”

“A good reward.”

Shouldn’t there be a reward since they settled the request?

Jude and Cordelia stepped forward as the dupe, no, the head of the wild fairies,
instinctively stepped backwards.

***

“You’re like a demon.”

“Do you hate it then?”

“No, I love it!”

Jude also had something called a conscience.

“Really?”

“Why are you pretending like it’s someone else’s business? You’re an accomplice
too.”

“Cordelia doesn’t know anything. I was just following Daddy.”

Cordelia pretended to be cute and innocent in front of him, and Jude couldn’t win
against her.

“Hehe, I’m really cute so you couldn’t win, right?”

“No, it’s not?”

“Hehehe.”

Cordelia cheekily laughed and lightly knocked on Jude’s chest.

“Apparently, you have a conscience here too.”

Jude’s conscience.

As she had said, Jude also had a conscience.

Even for Jude, it was unreasonable to extort more from the Fairy Queen as a reward
for her single request when they had already received the Earth Protection and over
twenty magic tools.

‘Though the truth is, we have nothing else to extort from her.’

There surely would have been more treasures, but it was questionable if the Fairy
Queen would hand it over to them.

There was no need to destroy a good relationship just because of greed.

“That’s why you got this?”

“It’s enough.”

Jude replied with a smile before spreading out the map he received from the Fairy
Queen.

“Magellan, the kingdom of magic.”

It was a powerful magic kingdom built by the High Elves, who were also known as
the ancient elves.

The map displayed and recorded in detail the geography of not only the Raptor
Canyon, but also of Endymion, the capital of the former magic kingdom.

“Lena must be here somewhere, right?”

“Perhaps. Even if she isn’t here… we still have to know about Endymion in order to
save Lena.”

After nodding at Jude’s words, Cordelia turned her gaze towards the left corner of
the map and smiled.

“This is the hot spring we’re in now. And since this is the bathhouse sign… hehehe,
there are more than ten bathhouses in Endymion alone.”

Although it would not have been completely preserved like the bathhouse they were
in that was managed by the wild fairies, the fact that there were bathhouses was still
important.

“Good for you.”

“Yes, yes, I love it.”

Seeing Cordelia’s broad smile, Jude’s mood also became better.

“Let’s stop by these places on the way. Anyway, we gained a lot from today’s
meeting.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

They got the map of Endymion, the Earth Protection, and several magic items, which
included the Spell’s Echo.

‘There’s even information.’

Information such as what monsters lived in Raptor Canyon and which surrounding
terrain and so on, that they should be careful of.

Jude and Cordelia got more than they had thought.

“Let’s change our equipment setting first, minus the items that has effects that cancel
out each other. Let’s set it at the highest efficiency.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll set up yours at the highest efficiency.”

Cordelia lightly knocked on her chest and began sorting out the equipment they had
brought, and Jude approached the fainted Kaplan who was still lying on the floor.

“How’s Kaplan?”

“He looks fine. He’s just sleeping well.”

After answering Cordelia, Jude checked Kaplan’s pulse before he untied the ropes.

‘Indiana Kaplan.’

An adventurer and archeologist from the Argon Empire.

He was a character the player could meet at least once when they explored the ruins
in the Argon Empire. He was always involved in accidents, so beginners would call
him the god of disaster while rotten waters called him the god of bliss.

“Are you going to wake him up?”

“Yes, because we have a lot to talk about.”

He wanted to know why Kaplan came to the wild land, and what and how much
Kaplan knew about Endymion.

“Wait, if you’re going to wake him up, I’ll wake him up with magic.”

Cordelia put the sorted equipment into their newly brought magic bag before she
quickly walked towards Jude.

“<Awake>.”

As she gently stroked Kaplan’s shiny head and whispered, the spell’s effect was
activated.

“Uhhh… uh…”

Kaplan opened his eyes with a groan and was half-asleep for a moment, but he soon
jumped up and raised his upper body.

“Hyuuuk?! Where am I?! What about the monster?!”

Jude and Cordelia left him alone for now as Kaplan exhaled roughly and looked
around him before he stabilized his position.

“Ba-bathhouse? High Elf style?”

As expected of an archeologist.

Jude unknowingly smiled, and then said to Kaplan who was covered in cold sweat.

“You’re Sir Indiana Kaplan, am I right?”

Kaplan flinched at the sudden call, but he soon nodded.

He was too busy to look around, so he didn’t properly notice Jude and Cordelia
standing next to him.

“I’m Indiana Kaplan. Here… n-no. I remember. While being chased by the White Giant
Bear…”

“Yes, we saved Sir Kaplan.”

“We saved you. If not for us, you would have been eaten by the White Giant Bear.”

Cordelia emphasized the fact that they saved him even if Jude didn’t ask her to.

‘Why?’

‘No, I’m just proud.’

She grew up well.

But he partly felt awful when he thought that he had corrupted an innocent child.

In any case, Cordelia’s emphasis on doing him a favor worked.

“Oh! You two were my benefactors! Thank you very much! I lived thanks to you two.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Ahem, ahem, now then…”

Cordelia immediately nodded, but Jude stealthily stopped Cordelia as he stepped

forward.

Because Kaplan wasn’t a fairy.

Emphasizing that he owed them was good, but if it was too obvious, there was a
possibility that it would be slightly counterproductive.

“It’s an honor to meet Sir Indiana Kaplan, a renowned archeologist.”

“Hoho, it’s just a bit of an empty name.”

Kaplan stroked his beard as if he was embarrassed, but praise makes even a whale
dance.

Kaplan felt much better.

“I am Jude, and this is my fiancee, Cordelia.”

“I’m Cordelia. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Cordelia’s courteousness made Kaplan’s face flushed.

“Your fiancee is a very beautiful woman. I’m envious.”

“Hahaha, thank you.”

In fact, Cordelia didn’t notice because she didn’t pay it much thought, but Jude had
always stressed the fact that she was his ‘fiancee’ whenever they met someone.

In the midst of the friendly atmosphere, Kaplan spoke.

“By the way… you don’t look like people who live in the wild land.”

“Yes, we are from the Salen Kingdom.”

“Ho! Salen! The Salen Kingdom has long been in war with the barbarians, so how
come you’re here…”

“There were various circumstances… but the biggest reason is to explore the ruins.”

“Explore the ruins?”

“Yes, explore the ruins.”

At the same time as he laughed ‘hoho’ at Jude’s answer, Kaplan’s face was filled with
curiosity and nervousness.

“The ruins you’re talking about are…”

“The capital of Magellan, the magic kingdom. The Endymion capital.”

“Oh! You’re the same!”

With bright eyes, Kaplan stood up from his position, and Cordelia immediately
continued.

“Sir Kaplan, are you here to investigate Endymion?”

“That’s right. I was a little lost because I didn’t know the exact location… but seeing
you two gave me hope.”
Endymion must be somewhere around here.

“Yes, Endymion is real. And if you look at this place on a bigger scale, this is also a
part of Endymion.”

“Ohhhh! As expected! Is this the bathhouse of the High Elves?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Whooaa!”

Kaplan was extremely excited as he immediately ran to the wall and began looking
and carefully touching the murals, engraved characters, decorations, and so on, that
decorated the bathhouse.

“He’s completely excited.”

“Because he’s an archeologist.”

Jude didn’t want to appear rude, but they still had to finish their conversation with
him.

So he approached Kaplan and spoke.

“I and Cordelia are researchers at the Academy located in the capital of the Salen
Kingdom. By chance, we got a map of Raptor Canyon and Endymion, so we ended up
coming here.”

“Map? You mean a map?!”

“Yes, a map.”

Kaplan immediately rushed towards Jude, who took out a neatly folded map.

However, Jude didn’t give out the map.

“Before that, Sir Kaplan. There’s something we’d like to know.”

“What do you want to know?”

“It’s not a big deal. We just want to exchange information.”

They wanted to know what Kaplan knew about Endymion.

But the reason Kaplan came all the way to the wild land was because he wanted to
just see Endymion.

“Umm… as you two know, Magellan, the kingdom of magic, is a legend. It’s not that
there are no records at all, but information about the kingdom is lacking to the point
that its existence is even questioned.”

That was correct.

Even Jude and Cordelia did not know of the existence of the magic kingdom itself
until they had heard of it from Gentle Snow Breeze.

“Because the kingdom’s existence itself is being questioned, the cause of its
destruction was also handed down through legends.”

A long, long time ago.

The overlords of hell descended onto this world in an era called the ancient times.

“According to legend, Angelone, the last queen of the magic kingdom, gathered all the
forces of the kingdom to confront the overlord of hell. But in the end, they were
outnumbered. The magic kingdom eventually fell into the hands of demons and
collapsed.”

But they weren’t just trampled.

Magellan’s High Elves succeeded in inflicting a fatal injury to the overlord of hell.

“Moreover, it is said that the war between Magellan and the overlord of hell did not
happen for a day or two. At least a year… no, during the war that lasted for many
years, Magellan’s wizards researched and studied ways on how to fight the demons.”

It was a convincing tale.

It became apparent that the reason Lena came here was to obtain the demon
countermeasures that was developed by Magellan’s High Elves.
“After the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom, demon followers began to run wild in the
Argon Empire. More and more people are concerned about the arrival of a powerful
demon.”

“Then…”

“Yes, it is to find a way to fight against the demons not only for the Argon Empire, but
also for the whole world. As a scholar, there are also many reasons to move. Of
course, there were requests from sponsors too.”

Despite looking like an old dwarf, him clearing his throat at the end was strangely
cute.

“I see. In fact, we are here for a similar reason. The Devil’s Hand and other demon
followers have been running wild in the Salen Kingdom for a long time too.”

“Hmm… as expected. Demon followers are a worldwide problem. It’s not just one
country’s problem.”

“Yes, so Sir Kaplan. Let’s explore Endymion together. Let’s leave our position as
citizens of the Salen Kingdom and of the Argon Empire, and even transcend our
human and dwarf races, and just be people who live together in this era.”

“Ooh… that’s good. Let us do so.”

As Kaplan nodded and shook the hand that Jude had stretched out, Jude glanced at
Cordelia and she gave a thumbs up.

‘As expected of my scammer!’

‘They call me a magician of words.’

After his eye conversation with Cordelia, Jude opened the map, showed it to Kaplan,
and then said.

“Sir Kaplan, we’re going to take a break here today and start exploring tomorrow. So,
Sir Kaplan, let’s have a good rest today.”

“Oh… I see. I understand. Could I see a little more of the map?”

“Of course. Take your time.”

Jude plainly handed over the map to the overly excited Kaplan before he drew closer
to Cordelia again and said.

“Let’s take a rest now.”

“I have to take a bath and do the laundry. Wash yourself a little too. You’re sweaty.”

“Uh… really?”

“Yes… really. So don’t stick close to me until you’ve washed yourself. Do you
understand?”

Cordelia coyly said before she turned around and headed towards the bathtub in the
corner, and Jude sniffed and smelled himself before hurriedly heading over to the
opposite side of the bathtub.

And the next morning…

“Uh… are we going like this?”

“Yes! We’re going like this!”

“We’re going like this!”

At the hot spring’s entrance.

Jude and Cordelia were close together, while Kaplan stood far away.

Was it almost 30 meters apart?

Moreover, they weren’t just far away.

A rope was tied around Kaplan’s barrel-like waist, and Jude held the other end of
that rope.

“Don’t worry. If anything happens, we’ll save you like yesterday!”

“It’ll be fine since we’re connected with the rope like this!”
“No, it’s just…”

Kaplan took the lead, while Jude and Cordelia followed him.

But since he was tied up with a rope like that, it felt like he was a bait that was
hanging from a fishing rod.

“Let’s go!”

“Let’s depart!”

At the urging of Jude and Cordelia, Kaplan had a baffled expression, but he soon
nodded.

At any rate, the two were his benefactors, and they even gave him the map and let
him take the lead.

The value of the map, in which Endymion’s geography was described in detail, was
surely around a thousand gold, so Kaplan himself didn’t feel like he was a bait.

‘They must have a different idea.’

The two were good enough fighters to save themselves from the White Giant Bear.

There must be a reason why they were following at a distance.

Kaplan tried to convince himself before he looked straight ahead with sparkling eyes.

The Endymion capital.

The capital of the fallen kingdom of magic.

The last city.

These were words that stimulated his heart as an adventurer and archeologist.

‘Let’s go!’

Kaplan proudly advanced and Jude and Cordelia followed Kaplan at a distance of 30
meters.
One hour passed like that.

Cordelia raised her head, and Jude spontaneously smiled.

“Ahhhh! It’s a monster!”

“Oooh! It’s an Ice Grizzly, a rare monster!”

“It’s also named! It has two horns! As expected of the Kaplan effect!”

While Kaplan screamed and ran away, the two widely smiled and then pulled the
rope hard to retrieve Kaplan before they stepped forward.

It was a named monster fishing using Kaplan, an unlucky man who attracts
misfortune.

With this method, they would be able to encounter rare monsters that were
normally difficult to encounter.

In addition, they would be able to encounter named monsters that were even harder
to encounter.

This was called the Kaplan effect.

“My princess, shall we catch a big fish?”

“Yes, Daddy. Let’s pick the mulberries.”

The two rotten waters smiled broadly at each other before they moved forward, and
the named monster, who sensed the unusual atmosphere, shuddered at that
moment, but it was already too late.

Jude and Cordelia.

The exciting fishing of the two rotten waters began.

Terms used in this chapter:

Praise makes even a whale dance – an old Korean saying which means that praises
makes a person feel good.

Magician of words – also known as wordsmith, which means a person who is an

expert in the use of words.
A Rare Monster, as its name implied, was a rare monster with a low frequency of
appearance.

‘Among those Rare Monsters are what is called the Named Monsters.’

The Named Monster was a special entity that was even rarer than the already rare
Rare Monster, and thus, having a name separately classified it from the other
monsters.

Moreover, Named Monsters weren’t just rare.

Most Named Monsters were much stronger than normal monsters or possessed
special abilities, though there were some cases where they were just like normal
monsters.

‘In short, they’re difficult and tricky to fight against.’

However, it was extremely rare for users of the Legend of Heroes series to dislike
encounters with the Named Monsters.

Even ordinary users welcomed encounters with the Named Monsters, and it was all
the more so for the rotten waters like Jude and Cordelia.

Why was it like that?

Why did users long for an encounter with a difficult-to-fight Named Monster?

Let me say this in advance, it wasn’t that the Legend of Heroes users were weirdos
who enjoyed pain and suffering.

“What? Wasn’t it like that?”

“No, it’s not? No, wait. Surely?”

“No way, it’s not, really! Of course I’m the exception. I enjoy the thrill of highly
difficult games. You and other rotten waters are weirdos who enjoy suffering.”

At Cordelia’s shameless assertion, Jude nodded and said as he pretended to write in

the air.

“Cordelia is a weirdo who enjoys pain and suffering… memo.”

“F*ck?”

Jude, who began to be slapped on the back by Cordelia, was thinking as he stared at
the White Grizzly whom they had just defeated.

‘High risk, high return.’

It was difficult to fight against, but in return, the rewards were plentiful.

The experience gained was much higher than that of a regular mob, and the quantity
and quality of the items that were dropped when they are defeated were also
incomparable with the regular mobs.

‘But this not a game. This is reality.’

In the game, if they defeated the White Grizzly, they would get this and that item, but
this was reality.

The giant White Grizzly was supposed to carry items that were used by humans who
were much smaller than itself.

‘But even if that is so… ’

“Argh! Why is your pain tolerance so high! Let’s strengthen it!”

“Hey! It hurts! It really hurts! Why are you using magic to hit me!”

“Here it goes! Here you go!”

“Ah! Ah! It really hurts! It really hurts! I think you hit me in the bone!”

“Nice! Additional damage!”

Jude barely calmed down the happy Cordelia who had clenched her fist, before he
looked back at the White Grizzly.

‘It’s not just the equipment we could get.’

There was the mana stone embedded in the forehead of the named White Grizzly,
and since it was a bear, there was its gallbladder and its claws that were harder than
steel.

T/N: The dried gall bladder of a bear is used as an ingredient for herbal medicine.

There were plenty of parts that they could take.

“Wow! Look at this! There’s also an item!”

“Eh?”

Cordelia had rushed towards the side of the sprawled White Grizzly and took out a
small dagger from its hairy fur.

“What… why does it have an item?”

“I don’t know, maybe it used this as a toothpick. Oh, it’s better than I thought? It’s a
dagger with a Freezing curse. If you get stabbed by this, you’ll get frostbite.”

It was a fact that he often forget, but Cordelia was definitely a wizard.

She had grasped the magic of the dagger at once, and afterwards, she began to scour
the fur some more with a satisfied face.

“Eh, there’s nothing more.”

“No, it’s already strange that an item came out.”

Perhaps this was also the Kaplan effect.

Anyway, since they had already defeated the White Grizzly and they couldn’t stay
here forever, they had to directly harvest the mana stone, gallbladder, and so on now.

“Hmm…”
During the Bicorn, the knights did it for them, but that was not possible this time.

Cordelia frowned and was troubled, but Jude smiled and stepped forward.

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me, step back, and take care of Kaplan.”

“Can you do it?”

“I can do it.”

“Wow, you’re so awesome.”

“Don’t fall in love.”

“Yes, I won’t fall in love.”

Cordelia nodded right away and then passed by Jude as she headed for Kaplan, and
Jude bitterly smiled before he took out his dagger.

And around a minute or so passed.

Cordelia shouted as she approached Kaplan who had collapsed at a distance.

“Jude! Kaplan seems to have fainted!”

“And?”

“He’s timid and weak. He’s a little different from the Kaplan we know.”

“Well… we’re still in the early stages. Isn’t it because he had been through so much of
this that he became the intrepid man of bad luck?”

“Hmm, that may be true.”

The convinced Cordelia examined Kaplan’s condition some more before she turned
to Jude.

Jude was skillfully collecting all the necessary parts.

“Jude, shall we wake Kaplan up again?”

“No, just leave him fainted. I think it’ll be more comfortable for him that way.”

“Well, we’ve still got a long way to go, so if he kept fainting, it would be bad for
Kaplan.”

“Yes, so he doesn’t need to stay awake.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

The two had agreed yesterday to create the wooden board Mk2 by attaching the
Wind’s Wing Arrow to the wooden board they had prepared in advance and using
magic to make it fly.

“All right, let’s keep going.”

“Let’s be fishermen who hooks monsters.”

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other and warmly smiled before they set off with
the wooden board carrying Kaplan.

The distance between the wooden board and the two were about 30 meters.

“Wow, it’s coming already.”

“His aggro’s really freaking awesome.”

It had only been 30 minutes since they defeated the White Grizzly.

The two joyfully laughed as they stepped forward.

Naturally, they caught a big fish again this time.

***

Indiana Kaplan was both an archeology expert and an adventurer.

Having served as a professor at the institutional academy, a prestigious school within

the Argon Empire, he had already been an extraordinary figure since he was a
graduate student and before becoming a professor.
The discovery of the tomb of Ironclad, the ancient dwarf king.

The unearthing of the tombstones of Luplan, an old kingdom.

The excavation of the crystal ball of Tatania, proving the existence of Tatania and the
land of witches, which had only been considered a legend.

The imperial family recognized his achievements and abilities in making discoveries
of the century that were rarely made once in a lifetime, and granted him knighthood
along with a life-long teaching position at the institutional academy, and Indiana
Kaplan was able to enjoy the honor of being the youngest professor in the history of
the Argon Empire.

But if there was light, there was darkness.

In terms of his accomplishments, he was supposed to be a star of the archeological

world and the treasure of the institutional academy, but he was always shunned and
hated.

‘Envy.’

He would have felt better if it had been just that.

He could have endured it, thinking that it was the envy of the losers towards those
who achieved remarkable success.

‘Kaplan was the only one who came back safe this time?’

‘There is no such thing as a god of disaster. But how come every time he excavates,
an accident happens?’

‘Isn’t it on purpose?’

‘You mean on purpose? Do you mean that Kaplan intentionally causes an accident?’

‘It’s possible.’

‘How come?’

‘Because he wants to take the credit alone?’

It was an outrageous slander.

It was nothing more than a conspiracy theory without any evidence.

How could he kill or injure researchers who went on an investigation together with
him and disguise it as accidents just so that he could take the credit alone?

‘It could be so.’

‘How does an accident happen like that every time?’

‘In the meantime, he’s the only one who’s fine.’

It was as people said.

Despite the many accidents, Kaplan was always alive and well.

There were many injuries, but there weren’t really any serious injuries or deaths.

‘It’s okay, all of it are groundless rumors. How could they blame you for the accidents
that happened? You have been hurt many times too.’

Those were the words of Bartol, who had volunteered for the assistant position that
everyone avoided.

How much had he been saved by those words?

However, even Bartol did not last long.

‘…I’ll quit.’

During his first excavation with Bartol, an accident occurred without fail, and Bartol
was fortunately saved, but was seriously injured that he had to lie in a hospital bed
for five months.

Bartol didn’t say anything to blame Kaplan.

But he didn’t say that it wasn’t Kaplan’s fault like before, nor say that it was his own
fault.
It was from then on.

Kaplan began to go alone.

He didn’t work with others when he was conducting research or excavations.

Anytime, anywhere.

Just alone.

“Gasp!”

Kaplan suddenly opened his eyes, let out a gasp, and raised his upper body.

In the midst of his confusion, several images suddenly filled his mind.

A giant monster.

White Grizzly.

The one who ferociously roared as if it would eat him at any moment.

He was alive.

He did not die.

He seemed to have escaped from the monster again.

“Haa… haa… what a relief…”

That was it.

While breathing hard, Kaplan raised his head.

Because he had crazy thoughts that it was his fault that he hadn’t seen his group for a
while.

‘What about Jude?! What about Miss Cordelia?!’

They were definitely strong people. Because they were the ones who saved him from
the White Giant Bear. They were safe even though they fell from the cliff.

So he had accepted their request to accompany him.

It had been a long time since he had done an investigation with someone else.

‘Please… please!’

“Sir Kaplan?”

He heard a voice.

It was a clear, pure, and beautiful, as if it came from heaven.

Kaplan turned his head reflexively and then swallowed his breath.

The girl who was looking at him with the sunlight on her back was so beautiful that
he unconsciously said.

“Angel?”

“I’m not an angel, I’m Cordelia. You remember me, right? Are you awake?”

Kaplan nodded, and only then could he fully wake up.

“What about the White, White Grizzly Bear?”

“Me and Jude defeated it. So rest assured. It’s safe here.”

Cordelia said with a smile.

As if it was nothing.

‘Because we caught a big fish seven times.’

Jude and Cordelia had already received information from the Wild Fairy Queen about
the monsters that appeared in Raptor Canyon.

There were no monsters among those that the two couldn’t defeat.
“Aaah… ah… thank you. Thank you very much. You were in danger because of me…”

“Eh, what are you talking about? Rather, I benefited from Sir Kaplan. Thank you very
much for being with me.”

Cordelia was sincere.

It wasn’t only Jude, as Cordelia had a conscience too.

It bothered her that they had used him as bait to attract the Named Monsters.

But it sounded completely different to Kaplan, who was unaware of the situation.

‘Ah… is she really an angel… ’

She received help from him.

Thank you for being with me.

How long had it been since he had heard those words?

No, it wasn’t that long. When he thought about it, he had heard of it when he first
became a professor.

‘How, how can a person be this kindhearted?’

Despite being in danger because of Kaplan himself, she was worried about him.

Cordelia’s warm words were like salvation to Kaplan, who had already thought of
himself as a man who brought disasters like what everyone else thought.

“Angel… Miss Cordelia must be an angel. Huuk-”

Kaplan began to shed tears of emotion. Because all his past sorrows burst out at
once.

“Si-sir Kaplan?”

“Thank you very much.”

When Kaplan sobbed as he clasped Cordelia’s hand, Cordelia was flustered and
broke into cold sweat.

‘Why is he doing this?’

Did he notice that they used him as bait and was now trying to counterattack?

While Cordelia’s delusional circuits was weirdly turning because of her

embarrassment, Jude was looking around them.

‘The entrance of the Endymion capital.’

Jude entered the interior of a structure that looked like a gateway, and he recalled
one by one the monsters that they had encountered on their way here.

‘None of them were related to the demons.’

The Wild Fairy Queen’s information was accurate.

None of the monsters who lived in Raptor Canyon were directly related to the
demons.

‘Lacto.’

It was the lowest-ranking demon in contrast to the Tomb Guardian.

It had appeared relatively recently.

Not by the standards of the wild fairies who had a twisted sense of time, but by
human standards.

Then, where did it come from?

Who summoned it?

Could there be a connection between Lena’s death and the summoning of demons?

‘The place where Lacto appeared was the underground of Endymion.’

Jude began to look around to search for a way to go underground. But it was then.
“Jude!”

“Cordelia?”

“We found it! Sir Kaplan found a way to the underground!”

Jude followed her voice as he went outside and saw Cordelia jumping and the
amazed Kaplan making a satisfied smile.

‘It’s surely Kaplan.’

He was a man who picks up artifacts even if he falls down on the road.

If Kaplan had found it, it would certainly be not an ordinary underground path.

“This way. I came across it by accident while tying my shoelaces.”

“As expected of Sir Kaplan.”

With a broad smile, Jude peered down the stairs that were going underground,
which was next to an altar.

It was tightly sealed, and Cordelia had magically opened it.

“It’s not on the map that we got from the wild fairies.”

“It must be worth investigating.”

Jude immediately responded to Cordelia’s whisper, before he turned to Kaplan again.

“Sir Kaplan, we’re thinking of going down right away. Would that be all right?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then let’s start right away.”

“Yeah!”

Jude was like Cordelia.

Far from resenting Kaplan, he even suggested to continue together.

To Kaplan, they were a such a kindhearted and good-natured man and woman.

“I will take the lead.”

“Yes, be careful.”

Jude readily took the lead with Kaplan before he glanced at Cordelia.

‘What happened? He seems to be highly excited.’

‘I don’t know.’

Cordelia shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, and Jude tilted his head.

‘Is it because we’re in the early stages?’

The Kaplan in Legend of Heroes 2 was truly a man of steel.

He always had a smile on his face, but it wasn’t a sincere smile.

It was a smile for building walls, not a smile for communication.

He was a man with an impregnable fortress who didn’t let anyone pass within a
certain line.

But the current Kaplan was very different.

His attitude towards Jude and Cordelia were warm and tender.

‘Perhaps because it’s in the early stages.’

Kaplan had appeared in the middle stages of the game.

“Let’s go in quickly too.”

“Oh, yes.”

Jude was somewhat convinced and at Cordelia’s urging, he followed and moved
downwards.

A dozen minutes passed like that.

The stairs which seemed to continue endlessly, finally came to an end.

Having descended almost a hundred meters down, they arrived at a huge

underground temple.

“Wow…”

Cordelia exclaimed as she greatly increased the light of a magic orb, which she had
used as a torch substitute.

It was so dark that they couldn’t identify everything around them, but the things that
caught their eyes at that moment were amazing.

The ceiling height was around 30 meters high.

Large columns were erected all over the place, and magnificent sculptures were
embossed on the pillars.

The sculptures were probably the ancient elven gods that the inhabitants of
Magellan, the magic kingdom, believed in.

“The Endymion capital…”

Kaplan approached the pillars in admiration.

And it was at that moment.

Jude and Cordelia almost simultaneously looked at their back.

Jude sensed someone’s presence.

Cordelia felt her hair stand on end.

A gaze that was hiding in the dark and looking their way.

It wasn’t a person.
Neither was it a monster of this world.

A pair of red eyes flashed.

It silently took a step in the dark.

Demon.

No, a monster from hell.

Jude held his breath.

He inferred the height and shape of the monster from the size and height of the
glowing eyes.

It was around 4 meters tall.

Judging from the size of the glowing eyes, it was a humanoid.

Another silent step.

No, it wasn’t a step in the first place.

Snake.

Its lower body was like that of a snake’s.

“Nazarus.”

A monster from hell with the upper body of a human and a lower body of a snake.

It was a higher species than Lacto. Moreover, it wasn’t a monster that could be
defeated by using tricks like how they defeated Lacto on the bridge.

“It’s okay, we can fight against Nazarus.”

Both Jude and Cordelia had grown a lot stronger.

If the two were together, it was possible to fight it head-on.

“As long as it’s not rare. No, as long as it’s not Named.”

Just as a snake’s head was only one, the common Nazarus only had one human upper
body.

But among the Nazarus were those with two upper bodies.

Cordelia nodded at Jude’s words, but only for a moment.

“As long as it’s not rare?”

“Yes, if it’s not rare…”

That was it.

As he thought of the same thing as Cordelia, Jude turned his head and gazed at the
pillar, and the Nazarus in the dark couldn’t wait any longer.

“Human! Tear it to death!”

“Human! Kill and eat!”

Two voices rang at the same time.

Rare.

It wasn’t an ordinary Rare Monster either.

There was a horn in the middle of the forehead, proving that it was a Named
Monster.

“Kaplan.”

The Kaplan effect.

As if responding to Jude’s babble, the Nazarus that was named Caracola raised its
voice.

It charged towards Jude and Cordelia.

Terms used in this chapter:

Mk2 – An abbreviation of Mark II or Mark 2. It often refers to the second version of a

product, which is frequently used on military hardware.
‘It’s not Kaplan’s fault.’

Kaplan’s ability was to attract rare monsters like the Rare and Named Monsters, and
not to create them.

In other words, it was to attract rare or named monsters among the monsters
scattered all over the place, and not to strengthen ordinary monsters into rare or
named ones.

‘It had been here from the very beginning.’

This happened because the named Nazarus was in Endymion’s underground from
the start.

‘So it’s not Kaplan’s fault!’

But… but still…

“Here it comes!”

Cordelia quickly shouted, and Jude focused on the battle before him.

He could hear the startled Kaplan screaming behind his back.

“Named Nazarus.”

“Caracola. Cara and Cola.”

“Rare, and they have one body.”

“Named are capable of dividing itself, also have a special ability!”

That was it.

Caracola’s figure was fully revealed from the darkness.

It had the upper bodies of a naked man and woman, and its lower body was that of a
giant snake monster. Both of them were monsters from hell, so they looked very evil.

“Kaha-!”

The male monster with a spear and shield, Cola, opened his mouth wide and spewed
out fire.

To avoid the flames that spread out in a straight line, Jude and Cordelia split as they
ran to the sides, and the woman holding a cane, Cara, chanted the spell as if she had
waited for it.

“Metamorphosis!”

Paa-!

At that instant, a tremendous amount of life engulfed all the darkness underground.

Jude and Cordelia knew Caracola’s pattern, so they had closed their eyes just before
the light burst to prevent sight loss, and thus, they lost the opportunity to track
Caracola’s movement for a while.

Therefore, Jude used his sense of hearing.

He tried to figure out the movement of Caracola by the sound.

“Agh! Eyes! My eyes!”

But it wasn’t easy. Because Kaplan had screamed from behind his back and rolled on
the floor.

Bang!

There was a loud noise.

It was at their front.

At the same time, Jude felt their murderous aura. After having opened the third door
of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors, his sharpened senses filled in the gaps of his
hearing and sight.

His eyes were closed, but he could somehow sense in the darkness that Caracola had
divided itself into two.

Chwaaak-!

A sharp attack pierced through the air.

Jude avoided the attack with minimal movement at the exact timing, opened his eyes
and then clenched his teeth. This was due to the unexpected situation happening in
front of him.

‘Cordelia!’

Cordelia was in front of him.

To be exact, it was Cara who had transformed into Cordelia.

The special ability of the named Nazarus was transformation.

It wasn’t just a transformation that only mimicked the appearance. With the power
of the horns on their foreheads, they were able to glimpse at their opponent’s
memories and mind and then use it to create an ideal look that was more real than
the real person.

‘They usually transform into a lover or a colleague who were with the victim.’

It wasn’t quite a great ability in the game, but in reality, it was clearly different.

“Jude.”

It was Cordelia’s voice.

Moreover, the Cordelia in front of him had wet hair.

It seemed to have taken the form of Cordelia when she was bathing under the
moonlight in order to lure the Fall Fairies.
“Ugh.”

It was the appearance of Cordelia that Jude had thought was the most beautiful.

Jude was suddenly filled with embarrassment as he thought that his innermost
feelings have been laid bare.

“Jude, let’s play. Okay?”

Speaking in a Cordelia-like tone, Cara drew closer to Jude.

It was not an exaggeration to say that her approach was full of gaps, but just before
he used his fist, Jude stopped and hesitated.

‘Damn!’

His mind knew that it wasn’t Cordelia.

But still, it was Cordelia’s face and voice. He felt a strong reluctance to hit her, and at
that decisive moment, he instinctively hesitated.

His attacks didn’t hit, or his attack speed slowed down, and Cara broke into that gap.

“Will you hit Cordelia?”

Kara tilted her head and said while she created magic blades that moved in the air,
and Jude clenched his teeth again.

By using the Twenty-Four Gale Steps, he made a dash and avoided the magic blades
that rushed in to kill him.

‘Whirlwind!’

The seven whirlwinds surrounding Jude suddenly shot forward and blew away the
magic blades. In that short moment, it created a path between Jude and Cara.

‘Gale!’

Jude rushed forward. After narrowing their distance at once, he tried to use the Holy
Cross Punch on Cara’s abdomen.
But it was impossible.

Again, he hesitated just before the attack.

“I don’t want to be hurt!”

Cara shouted in Cordelia’s voice, and his attack went awry, which was enough for
Cara.

As a monster from hell, she dodged Jude’s fist and blew her breath onto Jude at a
close distance.

“I love you so much.”

Along with those sweet words, poison penetrated into Jude’s body.

Jude hurriedly chanted the mnemonic chant of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors and
activated the energy of his whole body.

It wasn’t an overstatement that the energy inside Jude was unrivalled in its clearness
and purity that it not only repelled the poison but also completely purified it.

“Haa!”

Jude attacked again with a shout, and Cara quickly stepped back and evaded Jude’s
attack.

Jude’s attack lost its usual sharpness, but he couldn’t help it.

‘This won’t do.’

It was more difficult than he thought.

Even though it was just her appearance, he kept reacting to it.

‘What about Cordelia?’

Jude was primarily good at fighting, but he was now struggling like this. So it was
natural that he was worried about Cordelia.
Despite being in the middle of a fight, Jude diverted his gaze to the side and saw it.
No, he ended up seeing it.

“This is so good!”

It wasn’t Cara but the real Cordelia.

T/N: Cara and Cordelia actually said the same words in Korean (너무 좋아), and that
was why the next sentence clarified that it was the real Cordelia and not Cara. Jo-ta
(좋아) can both mean ‘love’ and ‘good’ in Korean. However, Cara’s words were more of
seducing or enticing Jude, so I used the ‘love’ for the translation, while Cordelia’s words
were more of her feeling good about the current situation, so I used the ‘good’ meaning.

She excitedly laughed and one-sidedly cornered Cola.

“Be hit more! Be hit more!”

A storm of magic attacks raged.

Cola got hit by more than ten magic bullets, and Cordelia clenched her fist. As if this
was not enough, she bolted towards Cola and shouted.

“Die! Jude!”

“Hey!”

The real Jude exclaimed, but Cordelia didn’t pay him any attention.

He looked exactly like Jude but was not Jude. This was such a good situation.

‘I don’t have to control my strength!’

She struck him with full power.

She hit him with the determination to really kill him.

“This is for Hong Yoo Hee!”

<Strengthen>!
<Strengthen>!

<Smite>!

<Smite>!

Due to the Spell’s Echo, the <Strengthen> and <Smite> spells were cast in succession.

Cordelia’s fist struck Cola’s abdomen with frightful precision, and Cola even vomited
blood from the intense impact.

“This is for Yellow Storm!”

Cordelia’s roundhouse kick exploded.

It wasn’t just a roundhouse kick but an attack that struck Cola’s neck like a guillotine.

She used <Smite> again this time.

Thud!

Cola’s head hit the floor. But Cordelia did not stop.

“This is for… Cordelia!”

She stamped on Cola’s back, and it seemed to be a little weaker than her previous
two attacks, either because of her mood or of the reality.

“Die! Die! Die!”

At any rate, Cordelia repeated her lethal attacks without any hesitation, and Cola
groaned in pain.

“Hey! That’s too much!”

It was when Jude shouted.

“Gyaa?!”

Cordelia’s magic bullet flew at a terrifying speed. As he managed to avoid the attack
by rolling down the floor, Cordelia said with a calm face.

“Ah, I thought you were a mob.”

He looked just like Cola whom she was stepping on now.

Cordelia focused on attacking Cola again while Jude trembled, and Cara, who had
unknowingly watched all that had happened, said with Cordelia’s face.

“Uh… she’s your fiancee, right?”

Without affirming or denying it, Jude vigorously raised his strength and ran towards
Cara.

However, Cara didn’t attack Jude. It was because Cola’s condition was too serious.

“Reunion!”

As Cara shouted loudly, a tremendous light burst again, and Jude urgently closed his
eyes to prevent being blinded.

“Aaah! My eyes! My eyes!”

Hearing Kaplan’s screams, Jude expanded his senses. He then felt Cordelia
approaching him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay.”

“What? Were you hit? They’re weak when they’re divided.”

“No, it’s not that.”

It was because of his feelings for a certain someone.

But Jude swallowed down what he wanted to say and looked straight ahead again.

Caracola, the named Nazarus.

But it was quite different from before. Unlike Cara who looked fine, Cola’s whole
body was covered in blood.

“Wow, you barely hurt her. Fighting gae-mo-tae, really.”

T/N: Gae-mo-tae makes an appearance again! This time, Cordelia is saying that Jude is
bad at fighting since birth.

Jude began to tremble again at Cordelia’s words, but he soon calmed himself down.
No, he clenched his fists in burning fury.

“I’ll take on Cola.”

Caracola was still transformed into them and he detested it.

It was somehow strange, but if it looked like him, Jude could hit it without hesitation.
But Cordelia opposed it.

“Eh? You want me to hit Cordelia? That’s a bit difficult…”

“…Then, let’s just hit both of them.”

“Yes, yes, that would be good.”

Cordelia grinned and used the Spell’s Echo to create more than ten magic bullets at
once, and Jude kicked the ground.

“Gale!”

It was literally a raging dash.

Nazarus, a monster from hell, was not an easy opponent, but Jude and Cordelia had
risen in level after they defeated powerful enemies at a rapid pace.

Moreover, the combination of Cheonmujiche and Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors was
truly like a cheat.

Chwaaak!

The true strength of Twenty-Four Gale Steps was in the whirlwinds and gale.
It wasn’t simply just a footwork technique that was as fast as the wind. Golden
whirlwinds rose and not only blocked the enemy’s attack but also controlled the
enemy’s movement.

“Die!”

Cola spewed out fire and Cara sent a barrage of magic blades.

But none of those could hurt Jude. The whirlwinds blew away the magic blades, and
the gale twisted the trajectory of the flames. Cordelia’s flying spells made Caracola
unable to focus on attacking.

‘They’re buying time.’

As Cordelia had said, Cara and Cola were weak when divided.

But they were now weak even when combined. Because Cola’s injuries were severe.

Their reunion and use of ranged attacks instead of close combat were all aimed at
buying Cola some time to recover.

So don’t let them buy time.

‘Hit them with the strongest attack.’

Black Dragon Release Technique.

No.

Black Dragon Release Technique was simply not enough.

“Jude!”

Cordelia cried out, and Jude read the wind.

Cara’s magic blade flew as it aimed for his head, but Jude lightly moved his head to
avoid it before he stepped on the wind. As if gliding, he leapt towards Caracola and
created a golden vortex in his left hand.

Kwooo!
The wind pulled Cola.

Cara tried to hit Jude, but Cordelia immediately responded.

“<Evil Eye>!”

It was the power that the White Snake in Frost Anvil had.

The pupils in Cordelia’s blue eyes sharply turned into slits, causing not only Cara, but
also Cola’s movement to be temporarily stopped.

“Now!”

Jude drew his fist.

He focused his sacred battle aura on his fist.

The opponent was a monster from hell.

So the sacred battle aura and the Holy Cross skills were nothing but poison to them.

However, the Holy Cross Punch wasn’t enough.

Its power was weak.

So he had to add strength.

He applied the power of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors to strengthen the Holy Cross
Punch!

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors – Improved Form.

Black Dragon Cross Strike!

The golden cross became pitch-black. The huge pitch-black cross was released from
his fists and crushed Cara and Cola.

Boooom!

The ground was destroyed. Its giant snake lower body was smashed at once.
And lastly.

There was still one shot left.

Using the recoil from the releasing of the pitch-black cross, Jude rotated in the air,
filled himself with the dragon’s energy, and struck down like a lightning bolt.

His heel that was full of the Black Dragon’s power smashed Cola’s head.

Boom!

Their transformation was released. At the moment of Cola’s death, Cara also died
since they shared one body, and when the monster from hell died, the air around
them fluctuated, just like when demonic humans died.

“Huuu.”

Jude let out a long breath as he looked down on Caracola who had turned into ashes.

A series of pure white rings surrounded Jude.

Then Cordelia’s voice came.

“Wow, your new skill is awesome. What’s the new one called?”

She came running and then asked with brightly shining eyes.

It was the real Cordelia.

The real one and not the fake.

“Haaa.”

“Eh? Why are you sighing? You did well.”

She tilted her head as she asked, and her appearance was really cute.

“…I must be seriously ill.”

“Eh? What? Have you been poisoned? Should I use <Recovery>?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“What nothing? If you want to say something, just say it. Are you upset because you
couldn’t fight?”

At Cordelia’s question, Jude shut his mouth at once, and soon scratched the back of
his head and said.

“No, that.”

“That what?”

“So that…”

“Ah! I understand! Are you upset that I hit you without hesitation? Is that it? Am I
right?”

“Ahem, ahem.”

Cordelia laughed at Jude clearing his throat before she shrugged her shoulders.

“But it was too obvious.”

“Too obvious?”

“It’s fake. Well, how should I say it? My instincts say it’s not Jude! My intuition told
me that. It smells different.”

“Smell?”

“Yes, it smelled different from you.”

Jude frowned at Cordelia’s explanation.

Instinct, intuition, and smell.

It was certainly very much like Cordelia.

“Indeed, you’re a real beast.”

“You want me to kill you?”

When Cordelia growled, Jude cleared his throat. Because he was relieved after
hearing her explanation.

“By the way, you really didn’t injure it. You found it cute. Can’t you do anything
because it’s my face?”

“Because I’m a gentleman.”

“Bullsh*t.”

Cordelia cursed, but she had a big smile on her face. One way or another, she seemed
to be pleased with Jude’s behavior.

“Anyway, we defeated it.”

“Yes, we defeated it. I think we’ve really gotten stronger.”

It was something natural when they thought about it. All of the enemies that they
had defeated while on the way here were of a higher level than Jude or Cordelia.

Therefore, Jude and Cordelia were able to quickly grow stronger beyond belief.

“But Jude. Will we continue to go with Kaplan from now on?”

When Cordelia spoke in a low voice as she peered at Kaplan who had fainted under a
low pillar some distance away, Jude nodded his head.

“We should. As you know, Kaplan’s ability is not to create Named Monsters. He
attracts those that already exist. Perhaps if we came here even without Kaplan, we
would still have fought the named Nazarus.”

“Umm… if you think so, then so be it.”

“…It seems like you’re not doing any thinking nowadays.”

“Because I have JudeWiki.”

Cordelia proudly spoke as she posed with her chest out. Afterwards, she looked back
at Caracola, who had completely turned into ash, except for the horns that could be
called drop items.

“Then, we’ll continue to go together with him?”

“We will. It’s much better to use Kaplan’s discovery ability if we’re going to
encounter rare mobs anyway.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Huh?”

“No, I thought that Kaplan would suffer a lot if we left him.”

“Wouldn’t it somehow be more troubling for the one who took him along?”

Nazarus appeared after Lacto.

There was no knowing how many more monsters or demons were hiding in the
underground of Endymion.

“Well… let’s think about that as we go. We need to save Lena too. In the first place,
Kaplan would have already been prepared to come all the way here to the wild
lands.”

“You’re right.”

Jude nodded before he picked up the horns of Nazarus which were dropped by
Caracola.

It was an excellent item that could show a glimpse of other people’s memories
depending on whether it was processed or not.

‘It’s worth the trouble.’

Gaining experience was also quite good.

Jude grinned as she said to Cordelia.

“Let’s go wake up Kaplan and continue moving. There might be other monsters who
have heard the sounds of fighting.”

“Yes, sir!”

Cordelia saluted like a soldier and ran towards Kaplan, and Jude turned around as he
stared beyond the darkness from where Caracola came out.

Lacto and the named Nazarus, Caracola.

Why were they here?

Who summoned them?

‘Lena.’

The hero of the first episode of Legend of Heroes who had died in Endymion.

Jude turned back towards Cordelia. He stepped forward to help her pull the groaning
Kaplan.

***

At a different place at the same time…

Gael and Adelia were heading towards the village of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe at
a time when Jude and Cordelia were traveling with the fainted Kaplan.

However, their positions were a little different from usual.

“Ahem, ahem, is it uncomfortable?”

“It’s fine. What about Lord Gael?”

“I’m fine too.”

Red Gale had given them only one stag (male deer).

Gael stiffly sat in front as he looked forward, and Adelia buried her face on Gael’s
back as she thought with her lips curled up.
‘It couldn’t be helped.’

Because the wild land was unbelievably cold. They had to rely on each other’s body
temperature. Moreover, it would be a disaster if she fell off the deer.

‘Yes, that’s it. It’s a rational and valid enough reason.’

Having convinced herself, Adelia’s lips curled up again, and she hugged Gael’s waist a
little stronger.

And in another place…

In a place near the border.

Inside the territory of the Salen Kingdom.

It was place for a man who did not know that Jude and Cordelia, as well as Gael and
Adelia, have already crossed the border.

“There is nothing like this that could invigorate the body. Just a bottle of this
would…”

Count Chase’s eyes narrowed at the words of the merchant who continued his
passionate explanation while turning here and there.

What was in front of him was a special potion made by processing a giant eel, which
was said to be only caught in the northern part of the Salen Kingdom.

“This is a secret, but my brother-in-law ate this and now, he had twins…”

“Ahem.”

As Count Chase’s eyes narrowed even more, the excitedly talking merchant shut his
mouth.

Although he diligently and loudly spoke about his wares, the existence of Count
Chase seemed scary.

He was tall and had a well-trained body, which was unimaginable for a wizard.
His terrifying eyes and serious expression seemed to be able to kill one or two
people with just a look of his eyes.

“…Give me.”

“Yes?”

“Give me two.”

“Two?”

“Two.”

Two, not one.

One might not be enough.

“Thank you! I’ll wrap it up right away!”

“Hmm.”

Count Chase nodded to the merchant who started packing the potions, and his mind
was briefly troubled.

He had concerns regarding the whereabouts of Gael and Adelia, as well as Jude and
Cordelia, but what occupied his mind now was something different.

‘I need to get a new bag.’

The bag that he brought was already full before he knew it.

As he slowly nodded his head, Count Chase turned his attention to the other items on
the shelves.

He couldn’t just put two bottles in his new bag.

“What is that?”

“Ah, speaking of that…”

The merchant’s explanation continued again, and Count Chase listened with a
serious attitude, as a small but satisfied smile came to his face.
Jude and Cordelia entered one of the empty rooms near the entrance and sat down in
a corner after thoroughly searching the surrounding area.

They were behind a large fallen stone pillar, which hid them from sight when viewed
from the entrance of the room.

“Shall we wake him up now?”

When Jude nodded at her question that was said in a low voice, Cordelia
immediately placed her hand on the fainted Kaplan’s forehead.

“<Awake>.”

“Gasp!”

As soon as the <Awake> spell was cast, Kaplan opened his eyes at once and gasped.

“Haaak! T-this is?! What about the snake? What about the monster?!”

“Jude and I defeated it. So please calm down. It’s safe here.”

Cordelia gently smiled and spoke in a soft tone, and Kaplan gulped and nodded his
head.

“Have you calmed down?”

“Yes, I’ve calmed down. Huuu, I’m fine.”

Kaplan nodded as his cheeks lightly flushed, and Jude, who had been quietly
watching, cut in.

“Ahem, ahem, Sir Kaplan.”

“Jude. No, Sir Jude.”

“You can just call me Jude.”

“Then, Jude.”

Kaplan was, for some unknown reason, fidgeting.

He wondered if Kaplan was bashful and enamored of Cordelia’s beautiful face which
transcended race, but that was thoroughly Jude’s opinion. There seemed to be
something else.

“Sir Kaplan?”

Cordelia asked as she tilted her head, and Kaplan tightly clenched his fists and
breathed several times before he made a resolution.

He prostrated as if he had made a mistake and then said.

“It’s all my fault.”

The moment they came down to the underground, they met a powerful monster.

Furthermore, it was Kaplan himself who found the way down to the underground.

Cordelia smiled and said that they defeated it, but it must not have been easy.

She might not know it, but it must have been a life-threatening fight.

“I’m really sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

All of this happened because of Kaplan himself.

Because these things always happened wherever Kaplan goes.

As he desperately apologized, Kaplan thought.

What would happen if even Cordelia and Jude hate him?

No matter how kind-hearted the two were like angels, in the end, the two were still
humans.

‘It might be better to go on separate ways like this.’

He thought that he wouldn’t be able to stand it if Cordelia told him that she didn’t
want to accompany him anymore, or that this was really Kaplan’s fault himself.

‘Let’s go on separate ways.’

Let’s move separately.

It’s better that way.

It’s right to do so.

So-

“It’s okay, Sir Kaplan. It’s not your fault.”

Kaplan flinched. He had no choice but to flinch.

Cordelia’s voice was the same as before. No, it was rather become more kind than
last time.

“But…”

“Cordelia is right.”

Jude helped raise Kaplan up and then looked at him straight into the eyes.

His eyes were full of fear.

Yet his eyes were like that of a child who had not given up hope for their kindness.

‘Is that it?’

Jude realized it now.

The Kaplan who appeared in the middle of Legend of Heroes 2 was always smiling,
but he never allowed anyone to be near his heart.
Although it was possible to compel him to follow like stalking, it was impossible to
make him a companion.

Because the wounds were repeated.

Because he had closed his heart due to not wanting to be hurt anymore.

He was a man who always pretended to be bright and had a false smile, but his
insides were tormented, and he felt worthless and empty.

But not yet.

It was possible to change Kaplan’s future now.

‘Of course… it may be useless meddling but… ’

But even so.

‘And one more.’

Jude glanced back at Cordelia. Her gaze at Kaplan was full of sadness.

So he had to say it.

He had to protect Kaplan’s heart for Cordelia’s sake.

“Is Sir Kaplan a god?”

“Yes?”

“You’re literally a god.”

“That… like a god of disasters…”

“It’s not like that. A true god. Or someone with divine powers.”

Kaplan shook his head at Jude’s serious question.

“No.”
“Yes, Kaplan is just an ordinary dwarf. No, you’re special because you became a
lifelong professor at the institutional academy at such a young age… but you’re still a
dwarf.”

It was not a disparaging remark.

It was an enumeration of facts.

“You are not god. You may have bad luck, but that’s it. Does Sir Kaplan create
monsters? Can you create and summon monsters that do not exist? No, it’s not.
That’s impossible. Sir Kaplan is not a god but a dwarf. You just ran into the monsters
who were originally there.”

Kaplan bit his lips. A faint smile was drawn on Jude’s face.

“It’s not Sir Kaplan’s fault. Saying that it’s Kaplan’s fault… that’s rather arrogant. Who
is Sir Kaplan? He’s just a dwarf with moist and attractive eyes.”

Kaplan’s eyes turned red at Jude’s words.

It wasn’t much, but Jude had told him the words he really wanted to hear and what
no one else had said.

“So don’t apologize anymore. Okay?”

“Okay… I understand.”

Kaplan sniffled and replied before he eventually broke down in tears, and Jude
patted Kaplan on the shoulder and turned to Cordelia.

‘Good job.’

Cordelia gave a thumbs up and widely smiled, and Jude was satisfied. After patting
Kaplan on the shoulder once again, a small smile formed on his face.

Cordelia’s smile was kept, but it was also because of his own feelings of satisfaction
about something in his mind.

‘A complete happy ending.’

The best ending where everyone was happy.

Jude smiled again at the thought that came to his mind, and he waited for Kaplan’s
crying to cease.

And a dozen minutes later…

“Are you fine now?”

“I’m fine. I’ve shown you something embarrassing.”

“It’s okay, it’s just between us.”

Cordelia mischievously laughed and said, and Kaplan began to be flustered as his
cheeks reddened again, and Jude cut in for the second time.

“Ahem, ahem, anyway, Sir Kaplan.”

“Yes, Jude.”

“We plan to continue the exploration as it is.”

Jude and Cordelia had yet to find any clues about Lena.

They absolutely couldn’t leave Endymion while that was the case.

But not for Kaplan.

“This is the second time we’ve encountered a monster from hell in Endymion.
Perhaps there are a few more of those monsters roaming around Endymion.”

It was a very dangerous place.

At Jude’s explanation, Kaplan gulped and nodded his head. Because he roughly
understood what Jude was trying to say.

‘Let’s go back.’

Because he would only be a burden if they went together.

“Okay…”

“That’s why this is our selfish request from here on. Sir Kaplan, will you continue to
explore with us?”

“Yes?”

“It is as we had said. Cordelia and I belong to the academy, but we are still very
inexperienced. It would be a great help if you could join us as a veteran archeologist,
Sir Kaplan.”

Jude wasn’t just talking with the Kaplan effect in mind.

Endymion was an area that did not even appear as a cinematic movie in Legend of
the Heroes 2.

Therefore, even if Jude and Cordelia were rotten waters, they would inevitably have
difficulties in exploration.

Even if Jude was knowledgeable about stars, he knew little about archeology or
exploring ruins.

But Kaplan was different.

Kaplan’s archeological knowledge and exploration experience would definitely be of

great help.

“May I ask you a favor?”

“Please.”

Kaplan immediately nodded when Cordelia spoke at the end.

Because it was the first time he was asked to continue the expedition together,
despite already having an accident once.

‘No, that’s not all.’

He wanted to be helpful to Jude and Cordelia.

He thought he could do anything for the two who were like angels that came down
on earth.

“I’m not good enough, but I’ll be with you. I’ll try to help.”

As Kaplan’s eyes burned with enthusiasm, Jude was satisfied, and Cordelia breathed
a sigh of relief.

‘Fortunately, he didn’t lose his motivation.’

‘You’re right.’

In any case, Cordelia was kind.

After thinking about Cordelia again, Jude proceeded with the conversation.

“I’m thinking of going inside a little more. The map of Endymion that we found does
not show this place, but I think it is roughly connected in this way when viewed on a
larger scale.”

Jude opened the map and talked, and Kaplan nodded with a very serious face, while
Cordelia took a step back and began to look around.

Thinking was Jude’s role.

And in fact, Jude was thinking of several things at the same time.

One of them was the origin of the monsters from hell that began to appear in
Endymion’s underground.

‘The most likely is a demon summoning.’

Over a thousand years had already passed since Endymion’s destruction.

It was hard to think that the demons who had destroyed Endymion in the past would
still have remained here.

‘If they were summoned, was it the Devil’s Eye?’

The Devil’s Eye were the only demon followers who were active in the wild lands.
But then, there was something that was a little strange.

Why did they summon the demon in Endymion?

Wouldn’t it have been better to do the summoning in the main camp or the land of
the attacking wild gods?

A considerable sacrifice was needed for demon summoning, and sacrifices didn’t just
rise from the ground.

In a larger scale, it was a commodity that was scarce after all.

‘What I can think of is the distinct characteristics of Endymion.’

It was the land where the overlord of hell came down in the past. Maybe it was a land
that had something advantageous for summoning demons.

‘The Devil’s Eye, the newly summoned demons, and Lena.’

Lena fought to the death in Raptor Canyon, not Endymion.

Maybe she had a big fight against the Devil’s Eye and the demons in Endymion’s
underground?

As a result she wiped out the demons in Endymion, but she was also seriously
injured and ended up losing her life.

It was quite a plausible hypothesis, but in the end, it was only a hypothesis.

He had to move to confirm the truth.

“Let’s begin again.”

They finished talking about the route while they were taking some rest.

“Go-go-go.”

“I’ll take the lead.”

Cordelia and Kaplan stood up from their spots and said, and Jude nodded his head.
Although Kaplan fainted in every battle, he was a man who had overcome many
crises.

They were able to easily proceed while carefully not making any sounds.

Thus, thirty minutes passed.

Jude praised himself for his decision to join Kaplan.

Because Kaplan discovered a secret path that was hidden in the dead end.

“This way.”

Since it was a secret door frequented by the slender elves, it was a little hard for
Kaplan, whose body was shaped like a keg, but it was not to the point where he
couldn’t pass through it.

“It seems like a real secret passage. It’s like a drama theatre.”

As she whispered very small on Jude’s ear, Cordelia pointed at their feet.

There was a floor about seven meters down, and where the party was standing now
was above the ceiling with holes on it.

Although it was a stone floor, it reminded Cordelia of the scaffolding that hang from
the ceiling of the theatre.

‘I’ll keep going.’

It was the moment when Kaplan expressed his intention using a hand signal instead
of speaking as he began to take a step.

‘<Paralyze>! <Silent>!’

Cordelia hurriedly reached out to Kaplan and cast two spells, while Jude held his
breath and focused his consciousness on his hearing.

They had heard footsteps.

Jude and Cordelia had become more sensitive to things happening on the ground
than before, perhaps due to the Earth Protection.

‘Monsters.’

It wasn’t one or two. There seemed to be about a dozen monsters like Lacto and
Nazarus that were moving together.

It was more than they imagined.

Moreover, seeing the magic lights lit up everywhere, it was highly likely that they had
been using this path for a long time.

‘Let’s wait.’

The group let them pass by. No matter how strong Jude and Cordelia were, that
number was too much.

Cordelia nodded at Jude’s eye signal.

Kaplan couldn’t move because he was paralyzed, but thanks to that, he was able to
stay still.

They stood still like that.

They waited for the monsters to pass by…

“Ceiling!”

A Nazarus suddenly shouted, and the Lactos wielded their whips at once.

It was right under their feet, so they didn’t even have time to react.

Craaaaash-!

The ceiling collapsed.

Jude hurriedly flew with Kaplan in his arms after Cordelia cast <Fly> magic.

It was impossible to go back the way they came from because of the Lacto’s whipping
here and there.
Boom! Thud! Crash!

Debris fell and crashed onto the floor.

Because of that, some of the Nazaruses and Lactos were distracted as they avoided
the falling rocks, and Jude and Cordelia used that opportunity.

“Run!”

An all-out battle was too much.

As soon as he touched the floor, Jude ran like a gale, and Cordelia repeatedly chanted
spells right after casting <Haste> several times.

“<Grease>!”

“<Freeze>!”

“<Earth Wall>!”

She made the floor slippery.

She froze the air to make a thin wall of ice and made the floor rise to block the path.

However, all of these were just temporary measures.

The Lactos avoided the greased area by flying low, and then literally threw
themselves to destroy the ice wall and the rising floor.

“Continue!”

But it was not without effect.

To widen the distance even a little, Cordelia continued to cast spells. Jude ran while
carrying Kaplan as he checked the surroundings.

‘It’s a place on the map!’

It was in his memory.

So he could imagine the path they should take.

“<Earth Wall>! <Earth Wall>!”

She even mobilized the Spell’s Echo, and in an instant, four layers of stone walls were
created.

Jude thought of an escape route, or to be exact, a route where they could get rid of
those who were following them.

Because it was a path that forked into two, their pursuers would have to make a
good choice.

But it was at that moment.

[This way!]

A sharp voice rang in their minds.

It was <Message> magic.

Who was it?

Where did it come from?

“Over there!”

Cordelia figured it out through her instincts.

Jude turned his gaze, and at that moment, a stone wall that was much larger than
Cordelia’s rose from the floor.

Baaang!

The stone wall that rose with a terrifying speed then crashed into the ceiling.

A succession of clouds that came from somewhere covered the stone wall.

[Hurry!]
It was the <Message> magic once again.

“This way!”

Cordelia ran, and Jude erased the map from his head.

Her beastly instinct was also an intuition, but she was a wizard. Her ability to feel
and understand magic was far superior than that of Jude.

Boooom!

Loud noises came from their backs. At the same time, they also heard the roars of the
monsters.

They had to hurry.

Jude looked straight ahead, and Cordelia pulled on Jude’s shoulder. Like that, he
threw himself straight at the wall on his side.

Swooosh-!

It wasn’t the noise of an impact.

Instead of crashing into the wall, Jude and Cordelia went past through the wall and
crashed into the floor.

“Gaak!”

Kaplan squawked as he fell on his stomach, and while protecting Cordelia in a hurry,
or to be exact, Jude hugged her and put her on top of himself. Having succeeded in
protecting her, Jude breathed a sigh of relief.

And above such Jude’s chest, Cordelia raised her head and swallowed her breath.

She swiftly raised her upper body from Jude’s chest.

What happened?

No, he understood.
Therefore, with Cordelia still on his chest, Jude turned his head and looked at the
same place as her.

The reason why Cordelia swallowed her breath.

The person who made her cheeks blush in excitement.

“Lena.”

A blonde woman with a gray hood over her head stood before their eyes.
Lena.

Her full name is Lena Ainsburg.

She was the favorite disciple of Bardo Ainsburg, a royal wizard of the Paragon
Kingdom.

For Bardo who had been single all his life, she was no different from a real daughter,
and the orphan Lena also treated Bardo like her real father.

Though her beginnings in magic were relatively late, she had an earnest desire to
repay Bardo’s guidance in cultivating her innate magic talent, and perhaps most
importantly, his self-sacrifice for her.

She officially earned the wizard position at the very young age of 15 and then
entered the Grey Tower, where Bardo also studied at, and accomplished the feat of
completing the whole scholastic course in just 3 years.

‘Master.’

Eighteen.

The still young girl went home to meet her beloved teacher and father, Bardo, with a
smile on her face.

It was unimaginable for her that the end of her journey would be marked by tragedy.

When Jude recalled the story of Lena that was depicted in the first episode of Legend
of Heroes, Cordelia gasped and stared at Lena.

‘It’s really Lena.’

She was Lena whom she liked after Cordelia.

Or rather, if Lena had actually been a playable character in Legend of Heroes 2, Yellow
Storm would have been greatly troubled in choosing between Cordelia and Lena.

So when Cordelia faced the real Lena in person, her head went blank in that instant.

‘I like her so much.’

She just liked her so much.

She was so happy because she liked her so much.

Cordelia was smiling so affectionately to the extent that Jude, who looked at her, felt
like his heart ached.

But Lena didn’t see what Cordelia and Jude were feeling underneath.

“This place is dangerous. There is no guarantee that I can help you several times. So
please leave this city as soon as possible.”

With her hood down, she blurted those words and turned around, becoming light
and disappearing before Jude and Cordelia could say anything.

“Lena!”

Cordelia urgently cried, but she was already gone.

White light particles scattered as if the fact that Lena had just stood there was just an
illusion itself.

“Shadow magic.”

Or to be exact, Shadow Clone Arts.

It was a magic that created a doppelganger and was one of Lena’s ultimate skills that
can be learned in the last half of the first episode of Legend of Heroes.

‘She was originally able to make it only within her field of view.’

Now, they couldn’t even guess how far the main body was from the doppelganger.
It seemed that Landius and Kamael were not the only ones who became monsters in
10 years.

“Uh… Lena.”

As Cordelia was about to cry, Jude turned his head back to her and said.

“It’s still a sign. Because it means that Lena is alive and that she is certainly
somewhere in Endymion.”

It was not too late yet.

There was still a chance to save Lena.

At Jude’s explanation, Cordelia quickly looked at him.

“Can you find where she is?”

“I can find her. So can you get off me first?”

It wasn’t because she was that heavy or that he hated it, but he’d be able to move
more freely once he got up.

Cordelia quickly nodded, got off Jude’s chest, and then sat down.

“Ah, right! Sir Kaplan! Are you all right?”

“Mmf, mmf! Mmmf!

Kaplan still had <Paralyze> and <Silent> cast on him.

Feeling sorry for Kaplan wriggling on the floor, Cordelia hurried to him.

“I’m sorry, I’ll release you in a minute.”

“Mmf-mmf.”

While Cordelia released the magic spells on Kaplan…

Jude stood up and focused his attention beyond the illusionary wall.
Fortunately, he could not feel the presence of monsters. Lena’s magic seemed to have
tricked them into going somewhere else.

‘Is this illusionary wall originally part of Endymion itself?’

Something that originally existed in Endymion, and not made by Lena herself.

‘Did Lena activate it… or was it activated when the monsters awakened the functions
of Endymion?’

There were magical lights in the hallways where the monsters passed.

Whether it was Lena, the monsters, or the Devil’s Eyes who wanted to summon
monsters, someone seemed to have restored Endymion’s city facilities.

‘Lena must be somewhere in Endymion.’

Lena used expressions such as ‘this place is dangerous’ and ‘leave this city.’

If Lena was outside the city, she would have used expressions such as ‘the city,’ ‘that
place,’ or ‘there.’

‘It sounds like a simple pun, but her words are understandable.’

T/N: ‘The city,’ ‘that place,’ and ‘there’ all sound similar in Korean, though I personally
feel that it’s more of a tongue twister than a pun.

Lena was somewhere in Endymion.

Then, where was she?

What was she doing in Endymion, and what is going on in Endymion?

‘Angel’s Feather.’

There was a white feather in the place where Lena disappeared.

It was not ordinary bird feather but was evidently that of the angel Lena’s feather.

‘Is that the core of her doppelganger?’

It was when Jude was looking at the white feather that was slightly emitting light.

“Jude, Jude.”

Having even cast a recovery magic on Kaplan, Cordelia approached him in quick
steps.

As soon as Jude turned around, she hastily spoke.

“Lena came to help us because we were in danger, right? So if we’re in danger again,
won’t Lena appear?”

It was quite a plausible suggestion.

It was possible if Lena’s character was as good as the saint in stories.

But Jude shook his head right away.

“It’s too dangerous.”

There was no guarantee that Lena could respond to every danger.

Lena didn’t even appear when they fought the named Nazarus back then.

“But…”

“Let’s find another way.”

If this was a game, he would have accepted Cordelia’s suggestion.

But this was reality.

Even if he knew that it was the only way, he couldn’t gamble with his only life.

“Cordelia, that’s Lena’s feather. Would it be possible to use that to trace her?”

Cordelia frowned at Jude’s expectant question, and soon shook her head.

“That’s unreasonable. I can’t think of any magic that I can use for that now.”
“Is that so?”

“That… if it’s tracing back, there’s a way.”

At those last words, Jude and Cordelia simultaneously turned their heads.

The barely recovered Kaplan wiped his sweaty head and stuttered.

“I’m not sure… but have you ever heard of the name ‘Bellagio’?”

Bellagio.

Jude and Cordelia blinked once and then looked at each other.

Nobody said anything first.

“Ah.”

“Aaah.”

“Aah!”

“Ah.”

“Ah.”

“Jude? Miss Cordelia?”

When Kaplan felt left out between the two who could communicate with just their
eyes, Jude opened his mouth again.

“Bellagio. That’s right, Bellagio. There was that.”

“Will we find Lena if we had Bellagio?”

“I guess.”

There was even a feather here.

As Jude nodded, Cordelia jumped up from her position and ran straight to Kaplan,
hugging his head.

“You’re the best, Kaplan! I’m glad Kaplan’s here!”

“Ahem, ahem. Uh, ahem.”

With his head buried in Cordelia’s chest, Kaplan blushed and cleared his throat, and
Jude’s eyes narrowed as he counted numbers.

‘One, two, three.’

This was enough.

Jude stealthily came closer and stopped the hug by pulling Cordelia’s arm before he
quickly spoke.

“Sir Kaplan is right. If we have Bellagio, we can find Lena.”

“But that… we have to first look for Bellagio…”

Although he promptly said it, it was actually not easy to find Bellagio.

Kaplan himself knew little about the Bellagio’s habitat somewhere in Raptor Canyon.

But not for Jude and Cordelia.

“I know where Bellagio is.”

“I know exactly who has Bellagio, and how to meet them.”

Mystical beast Bellagio.

A magical beast who could track even small traces of mana as small as fingernails.

“Oh! Is that true?”

“It’s true.”

Cordelia replied with a big smile and looked back at Jude to confirm, and Jude
nodded his head.
‘Because they were the ones who raised the Bellagios in Legend of Heroes.’

So he assumed that they would have raised it here in reality.

“Where should we go? It’s clear that something big has happened to Endymion, given
that the monsters are going around like this. Getting out of the city may not be easy.”

Unlike Jude and Cordelia, Kaplan was absolutely lacking information on their current
situation, but he was not a lifelong professor at the institutional academy for no
reason.

Despite their insufficient information, Jude smiled big and replied in a coherent
manner.

“We don’t have to go out of the city completely. We can go to a place that is marked
on the map. What’s more… it’s not too far away.”

Having said that, Jude opened Endymion’s map for Cordelia and Kaplan, and Cordelia
soon pointed to a place marked by a checkmark.

“We have to go here.”

“There… what is there?”

When Kaplan blinked and asked, Jude and Cordelia exchanged glances, and soon,
Cordelia placed her hands on her hips and said.

“Bathhouse.”

***

“How’s the temperature?”

“Just good. How about your blindfold?”

“I can’t see anything, so I might fall. Can I take it off for a second?”

“Hmph, no.”

Cordelia giggled and looked elsewhere before she said.

“Sir Kaplan, please be patient even if it feels uncomfortable.”

“It’s all right.”

Inside the bathhouse located outside Endymion.

Just like the hot springs in the canyon, this place was well maintained.

Jude and Kaplan sat on an empty bathtub with blindfolds on, while Cordelia
prepared to take a bath in front of a bathtub filled with hot water.

“Now then, shall we start?”

After entering the bathtub, Cordelia began washing herself with hot water.

It was an act that was questionable since monsters from hell were wandering around
Endymion’s underground, but in fact, it could be called a very important ceremony.

“Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~”

The humming Cordelia began to wash her hair, and Jude cleared his throat and said.

“Cordelia, are you going to keep bathing?”

“Tsk, I’m just washing my hair.”

The chance to take a hot bath didn’t just come at any time.

Cordelia washed her hair with great care, deeply took a breath, and then uttered a
magic spell to call the fairies.

“Twinkle, twinkle little star~ Shining beautifully~ In the western sky~ Eh, they
came.”

She was used to it by now.

“Wow! So pretty!”

“Really pretty!”
“But haven’t we met her before?”

“We have met.”

The last one was Cordelia.

After getting up from the bathtub, she dried her body with magic and told the wild
fairies looking up at her with sparkling eyes.

“Would you like to play with me?”

“Eh! That’s surprising!”

“What are we going to play?”

As the wild fairies jumped and shouted in the bathtub, Cordelia slowly nodded.

After peeking at Kaplan and Jude who flinched at the voices of the fairies, she
dressed herself and then said.

“First.”

“First?”

“Let’s see the Queen.”

“The Queen?”

“The Queen.”

A villainous smile spread over Cordelia’s face.

***

The Wild Fairy Queen.

Having rich blonde hair like that of a lion’s mane, she was lying in bed and relaxing.

She was a fairy one way or another, but if the other fairies were kids, as a queen, she
was a girl.
Therefore, she had not yet fully recovered from the aftermath of a stormy pair who
had swept through them just a while ago.

‘I feel tired.’

It was mental fatigue and not physical fatigue.

A subtle feeling of having solved a problem but not having solved it.

She felt dejected every time she saw the almost empty warehouse of the High Elves.

‘No, it’s not something that we can use in the first place.’

There was something though.

There was something that she really felt.

‘Anyway, it’s all over.’

That’s it.

Yes, yes, that’s it.

The Fairy Queen thought like a fairy and tried to fall into a deep sleep.

But it was at that moment.

“Queen!”

“Queen!”

“Queen!”

The Fairy Queen opened her eyes in surprise at the sounds of the fairies calling her
and was even more surprised that she fell out of her bed.

Because there was a beautiful human girl among the fairies.

“Queen! I missed you!”

When Cordelia brightly smiled, her face was so pretty and lovely that the Fairy
Queen unconsciously smiled but it was for a moment only.

“Uh… aren’t you done with your business already? You’ve been rewarded.”

You’re not asking for more rewards, right?

You also have a conscience, right?

Cordelia said with a bright smile again at the Fairy Queen’s question.

“I’m not here for rewards. We have already received enough.”

“Is that so? Yes, I knew right away that you were good children.”

Having been assured that she didn’t come to get rewards, the Fairy Queen graciously
smiled.

But it was too early to judge.

“I don’t need rewards, but I need help.”

“Help?”

“Yes, the Queen’s help. It’s very, very important. In a way, it’s actually also for the
fairies, and not us, who’ll be helped. Rather, we’ll help the fairies.”

The fairies would receive help.

It was a word choice that made her feel something ominous, but the Fairy Queen
decided to listen to Cordelia’s story first.

“Let’s talk.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After taking a deep breath, like what she learned from Jude, Cordelia began her
scam… no, she began her story.
While Cordelia met with the Wild Fairy Queen, Jude took off his blindfold and left the
bathhouse with Kaplan.

“Let’s go back to the underground and join Cordelia there.”

Their exact destination was the bridge where Lacto had appeared, the place where
the Fairy Queen had requested the two to get rid of Lacto.

There was no bridge now, but the other side was still connected to the outskirts of
Endymion.

“To be able to secretly meet the fairies in this way… it would be a great study. When I
get back later, I must try it in a place where there are fairy legends.”

“Uh… yes. Good luck.”

It would probably be difficult.

A girl who was as beautiful and lovely as Cordelia would not be common even in the
vast empire.

‘It’s not because of bean pods.’

T/N: This is a comeback of the Korean idiom, ‘One’s eyes are covered with bean pods’,
that was used on Episode 76.1. It means ‘to only see the good in someone after falling in
love with them.’

After coming up with such an excuse to himself, Jude opened his mouth again.

“Moving on, it’s still in a relatively safe area, so I’d like to tell you of some information
we know.”

“Does that have something to do with the situation right now?”

“Yes, you’re right. In fact… we are not just affiliated with the Academy.”

Kaplan nodded at Jude’s words.

Because he had seen with his own eyes the powers of Jude and Cordelia, who were
too powerful to be just undergraduate students.

“We actually have a connection with the Guardians of the Holy Cross.”

“Ah! I see!”

The Guardians of the Holy Cross, who were active throughout the continent, engaged
in fierce battles against the demon followers.

“I understand now.”

Why the two came to Endymion.

Why the hearts of the two were so beautiful.

‘A female saint and a holy man.’

‘There seems to be some misunderstanding, but since it doesn’t look bad, let’s just
leave it.’

When their thoughts were over, the two resumed their conversation.

“The woman we met earlier was Lena Ainsburg. Have you heard of her?”

“Of course. How could I not know one of the five heroes of the Paragon Kingdom, the
Holy Angel Lena?”

Though there were many stories about the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom, the
incident itself was widely known throughout the continent.

It was a great event since an entire kingdom was destroyed by the Demon Prince
who was summoned from hell.

“She’s as famous as the Iron Man Landius or the Ghostblade Kamael.”

Holy Angel Lena.

She was the last angel who was born and raised on Pleaides.

Among the five heroes of the Paragon Kingdom with all kinds of nicknames, she was
the only woman and was symbolized as an ‘angel.’

That was why she always played the beautiful heroine in the songs of bards who
sang about the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom.

“I never planned to meet Lena here. We came here to investigate… but somehow,
something bigger than we had expected is happening here in Endymion.”

With a serious face, Kaplan nodded at Jude’s explanation.

They had already seen that many monsters from hell.

“That’s all I can explain right now.”

“That’s enough. I’ll do my best to help you.”

Kaplan thumped on his chest and stepped forward with enthusiasm, and Jude felt a
strange satisfaction at Kaplan’s appearance that was quite different from the game.

And time passed.

After following the map, Jude and Kaplan were finally able to arrive on the opposite
side of the bridge.

“Ah! Jude is here!”

Cordelia was sitting on the ground and chatting with the fairies before she jumped
up from her seat and said.

The appearance of her brightly smiling and waving her hand was a heartwarming
sight for Jude.

“Cordelia.”

“Our talks went well. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

When Cordelia quickly asked the Wild Fairy Queen sitting on her shoulder, she
nodded.

“I heard everything from Cordelia. You were really working hard for us fairies. As the
Queen of the Wild Fairies, I wish to express my gratitude to the both of you.”

At the words of the Wild Fairy Queen, Kaplan blinked his eyes, wondering what she
was talking about, but not for Jude.

Because Cordelia smiled and sent a gaze saying that she worked hard.

‘I did a good job, didn’t I?’

‘Good job. I’ll stamp it for you later.’

‘Bullsh*t.’

T/N: To those who didn’t get it, some teachers stamp ‘good job’ to the papers of
students who did a good job on something.

However, Cordelia’s smile grew wider as if she was satisfied.

What Cordelia did was actually simple.

‘It’s not totally a scam.’

Something unusual was indeed happening in Endymion’s underground.

The appearance of Lacto was not a coincidence.

More demons would appear in the fairies’ territory if they had left it unattended.

‘I can’t let the fairies be in danger. In order to protect the fairies’ territory, Jude and I
will investigate it. It would be very dangerous, but we’ll still do it. For the safety of
the fairies and the Queen!’

There was a slight change in the order of events, and some beautiful words were
added, but it wasn’t a lie.

After all, if they saved Lena and solved Endymion’s problem, won’t the fairies be
safe?

‘It’s a win-win situation.’

Dredge a ditch and catch a crawfish.

Sweep the yard and pick up coins.

T/N: The above two lines are Korean/Chinese proverbs that pretty much has the same
meaning of the English idiom, ‘kill two birds with one stone.’

“I really don’t know what to say. I resented you for a while when you thought of us
like that back then…”

“Eh? Resented?”

“No, no. I never resented you. Of course not.”

The graceful Fairy Queen was flustered when Jude asked her.

But Jude was just joking.

She was robbed like that in the first place, so it wouldn’t make sense if she didn’t feel
any resentment.

‘Anyway, our plan still went well.’

The original plan was Jude and Cordelia begging the Fairy Queen to lend Bellagio,
and the Fairy Queen granting it out of her gratitude for their sacrifice and service.

There was a very big difference between the two.

‘Particularly if there’s a reward or not.’

Jude’s eyes suddenly shone for a moment, but he pushed his self-interest aside and
began talking.

“Fairy Queen, as you’ve already heard from Cordelia, Lena Ainsburg, one of the five
heroes of the Paragon Kingdom, seems to be somewhere in Endymion. We need to
find her.”
“Yes, I heard about it from Cordelia. You two have worked so hard for us, so it makes
sense for us to help you too. My children have already gone to pick up Bellagio, so
they’ll be here soon.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you very much.”

It was shortly after Jude and the Fairy Queen exchanged an amiable conversation.

“Queen! Queen!”

“We brought Bellagio!”

“Good boy, good boy.”

The last one was the words of the fairy on top of Bellagio’s head.

“Oooh! It’s a real Bellagio! It looks exactly like the one in the legend!”

‘Yeah, though it really looks like a golden retriever.’

It was a golden retriever that had a white color and had wings.

Bellagio flew with the fairies on its head and back, and its personality resembled a
golden retriever as it was panting with a gentle face.

“C-cute. Your Majesty, can I hug it?”

“You may do so.”

When the Fairy Queen gave her permission, Cordelia widely smiled and hugged
Bellagio.

“Wow, it’s soft. Jude, Jude, it’s cute, right? Right? Kyaa~”

Her small ‘kyaa’ at the end was because of Bellagio.

Bellagio had licked Cordelia’s cheek with its tongue.

And so, instead of answering Cordelia’s question, Jude counted numbers in his mind.

‘One, two, three, four, five.’

Done. That was enough.

Three for people and five for animals.

Jude interrupted the hug by pulling the scruff of Bellagio who was in Cordelia’s arms
and switched the topic right before anyone could say anything.

“Your Majesty, please forgive for hurrying because we don’t have much time.”

“Yes, I know the urgency of the matter. Bellagio needs to remember the traces of
mana, so can you give me the feather?”

“Here it is.”

Jude took out Lena’s feather and the Fairy Queen infused some magic into the feather
that was almost the same as her height.

“Luke, remember this, okay?”

At the Queen’s question, the Bellagio named Luke immediately panted, nodded and
wagged its tail.

“Yes, good boy.”

The Queen smiled and said as she looked at Jude again.

“The Bellagio will lead you.”

“Thank you. And Your Majesty, the introduction was late, but this is Sir Indiana
Kaplan. He is a lifelong professor at the academy in Argon Empire and is a valuable
companion of us.”

The Fairy Queen gracefully smiled at Kaplan when Jude introduced him, and Kaplan
blushed and got teary.

Because Jude had said that he was a ‘valuable companion.’

“Indiana Kaplan greets the Fairy Queen.”

When Kaplan courteously greeted her with a quivering voice, the Fairy Queen
answered with an elegant voice.

“Indiana Kaplan, thank you so much for helping us. And… since you’re a friend of
Jude and Cordelia, it would be reasonable to give you a Protection too.”

It was when the Fairy Queen who had said so, tried to approach Kaplan.

“No, no. He’s bald.”

“Potbelly.”

“Short-heighted.”

The fairies who brought Bellagio complained and expressed their opposition.

They were indeed fairies who highly valued appearances.

But the Fairy Queen was a little different.

Unlike the other fairies who acted like kids, she was thoughtful and caring so she
said to the discouraged Kaplan.

“That’s not true. Look at him too. These beautiful moist eyes. It’s like I’m looking at a
jewel.”

Having said so, the Fairy Queen kissed Kaplan’s broad forehead.

“May the Protection of the Earth be with you.”

The Fairy Queen’s smile was so benevolent that everyone who saw it would think of
her as a saint.

“Thank… you.”

Kaplan fell into a trance and barely expressed his gratitude, and the Fairy Queen
giggled like a fairy, flew back, and then said to Jude and Cordelia.
“May the protection of the earth be always with you, too.”

“Thank you, Fairy Queen.”

“Thank you very much.”

Jude and Cordelia bowed again, and the Fairy Queen waved her hand at them before
taking the fairies back.

Just as Jude had said, it was an urgent situation, so they couldn’t delay it any longer.

“Come and see me again when you’re done.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“We will!”

It was questionable if they could receive a reward after returning Bellagio, but
getting rewards was also important.

Jude waved his hand at the Fairy Queen and began moving again with Bellagio in the
lead.

And quite some time passed.

“Woof-woof! Woof-woof-woof!”

Bellagio stopped in place and barked.

“What is it saying?”

Although Jude was familiar with the various languages in the Legend of Heroes series,
he couldn’t understand the dog’s words.

But it was at that moment.

Cordelia said as her eyes slightly narrowed.

“Uh… it seems like it can feel a lot of mana.”

“Eh?”

Jude blinked in surprise and asked again, but Cordelia looked at Bellagio instead of
answering.

“Luke, are you saying that there are feathers in many places?”

“Woof-woof! Woof-woof-woof!”

“I see. There must be feathers everywhere. I think it’s asking which one to look for.”

Bellagio nodded and wagged its tail at Cordelia’s interpretation.

The two seemed to be exactly the same.

“As expected of a beast. You can communicate with each other.”

“Do you want to die?”

Jude nodded at Cordelia’s cute threat and said after thinking for a moment.

“Tell it to follow the one with the greatest trace of mana.”

“Okay. Luke, follow the one with the greatest trace of mana… wait, you can do it too.”

“No, I thought you’d translate it into beast language… Oww! That hurts! It hurts!”

“Would I hit you if it doesn’t hurt? Woof-woof! Woof-woof-woof!”

Cordelia snarled and slapped Jude’s back before taking a deep breath and speaking
to Luke again.

“Luke, please.”

“Woof-woof.”

Luke nodded and began to move forward again.

And quite some time passed by again.

The group approached the center of Endymion slowly but surely.

While on the move, they encountered the monsters from hell several times, but
fortunately, only a few appeared, so the two were able to defeat them without much
difficulty.

But when a relaxing time passed like that…

Jude strongly felt that something was out of place.

‘It’s strange.’

They encountered several monsters on their way here.

There were also five different types.

However, there were no demonic humans among them.

They hadn’t encountered a single demon follower.

He wondered on what had happened.

They were no longer outside. They were on the way to the center.

‘Moreover, the monsters were also strange.’

They had defeated all the monsters they had encountered so far.

However, the alarm had not sounded yet. There seemed to be no monsters who
realized that they were moving.

How can this be?

If someone had summoned the monsters for a purpose, there would be some
organizational structure among the monsters.

Why is this happening?

What is the cause of this strangeness?

“Woof-woof.”

It was then.

Bellagio barked, and Cordelia nodded with a tense face.

“Jude, Lena’s mana feels strong here. And… from here on, this seems to be a different
section.”

At Cordelia’s words, Jude quickly opened the map.

As she had said, if they left the area they were in right now, they would enter the
‘underground city,’ the center of the Endymion capital.

“On the map, it looks like the city was built in a huge cavity… is it like a city of ancient
dwarves?”

When Kaplan asked in a low voice, Jude nodded.

Until now, it had been a common underground facility, but from here on, it was
different.

It was the beginning of a true underground city with buildings that were tens of
thousands of meters in height that were built inside the huge cavity.

“Let’s proceed more carefully.”

“Yes.”

Cordelia replied with a very tense face, spoke quietly as she patted Bellagio’s back,
and Bellagio began to take the lead again.

And a few minutes passed by again.

The group arrived in front of an enormous stone gate and unconsciously frowned.

“Can you feel it?”

“I can feel it.”

Jude could feel it and Cordelia could also feel the demonic mana because of the
witch’s power.

No, even Kaplan who was insensitive in that direction could also feel the immense
power that was being transmitted beyond the stone gate.

What is it? What’s beyond the stone gate that we could even feel this level of power?

“It’s not right across the door. It’s far away.”

Cordelia said after she had closed her eyes and maximized her senses. Jude couldn’t
also feel such a power right behind the stone gate.

“Lena’s mana is in between that power.”

It was the link between Lena’s death and some sort of incident in Endymion.

Jude composed himself as he took a deep breath before looking back at everyone.

“Let’s go.”

“We’re ready.”

“Woof-woof.”

After hearing everyone’s answers, Jude opened the stone door.

And immediately afterwards, the moment they saw the sight before their eyes, Jude
understood it.

He figured out the only answer that could explain all the incongruities up to now.

“Hell… Gate.”

It wasn’t something like a summoning.

It wasn’t an incident involving the Devil’s Eyes either.

The monsters from hell suddenly appeared.

They had been wandering around without any chain of command.

It was natural.

They weren’t summoned with a special purpose in the first place.

They just stepped into Endymion through the Hell Gate.

In the center of Endymion was a giant magic sphere like the sun. It was something
that could be seen at a far distance.

The purple aura of hell overflowed between the cracks of that huge space.
Hell Gate.

Something that directly connected hell and this world.

That was why there was no need for a separate summoning ceremony.

Sacrifices were not necessary as the demons were able to descend on this world
through their own power.

“No way.”

Cordelia unconsciously said.

Jude agreed.

It was too early.

The Hell Gate had only appeared in the latter half of Legend of Heroes 2.

Fortunately, the Hell Gate was still not in its complete form.

It was currently just a crack, so there was a limit to both the quality and quantity of
demons that could cross over.

However, it would be catastrophic if left unattended.

The moment the Hell Gate reached its complete form, it would become possible for
even the overlords of hell to descend to this world.

‘So that was why.’

He fully understood it now.

The reason why Lena died in Raptor Canyon.

It was because of the Hell Gate.

Lena must have sacrificed her life to close the Hell Gate.

It was a dilemma.

If they neglected the Hell Gate, a catastrophe would be unavoidable.

But to close the Hell Gate, it required the sacrifice of someone like Lena.

‘No, let’s not jump into conclusions. That isn’t the only conclusion.’

He had not yet fully grasped the situation.

He only knew that Lena had sacrificed herself to close the Hell Gate, but he didn’t
know how she closed it or how she used up her power at that time.

So it was still too early to give up.

Perhaps there was something else.

“Woof-woof!”

It was then.

Bellagio suddenly began to bark, and Jude and Cordelia, who were distracted by the
Hell Gate, came to their senses.

“Woof-woof! Woof!”

“Lena! It knows where Lena is! Let’s go after her!”

They should meet Lena first. They should meet, get some information, and find a way
to solve this situation.

Cordelia’s words were right. Jude lifted up Kaplan who was suffering from the energy
of hell, and then glanced at Cordelia.
“Luke! Guide us!”

“Woof-woof!”

At Cordelia’s command, Bellagio began running fast.

They all ran forward.

It was like they were racing towards the Hell Gate.

And Jude saw.

The closer they got to the Hell Gate, the more that they could clearly see.

There were demons from hell.

Between the purple aura of hell and the green aura that resembled poison, they
could see the silhouettes of countless monsters.

Some of the demons seemed quite powerful.

‘Less than a hundred.’

It was the number of demons that had already passed through the gate.

He wondered if they could fight against that number of monsters even if they had
closed the gate.

“Woof-woof!”

“Jude!”

Bellagio called their attention again.

Cordelia’s call brought Jude to his senses and into the reality in front of them.

“Lena.”

Jude could feel her now.

At a place just two hundred meters away from the Hell Gate located in the middle of
the city.

Lena was in a five-story building that looked like a tower. He could feel her power.

And the other side too.

“Kya?”

At the time of Cordelia’s small scream, Jude felt his vision darken.

It was just a short moment, but he lost his body’s freedom and struggled in the air
before he saw the light again.

“Oww!”

That was Cordelia. She had fallen from the air and landed on her butt, while Jude
safely landed thanks to his special body constitution (Cheonmujiche) and put Kaplan
down before he looked at his front.

A person stood there as he had expected.

“Haven’t I told you to run away?”

It was a blonde woman with a gray hood covering the top of her head.

She had used polite language, but her words had a mixture of anger and a little
irritation. No, it was more of nervousness.

“Now you know. This place is dangerous. Run away and avoid the monsters. I can’t
afford to take care of you!”

It was a firm tone, as if she would not allow any objections.

But Jude didn’t heed her words.

Rather, he had to change her mind.

And Jude knew what to say.

“Landius’ disciple, Jude Bayer, greets you.”

It was a short statement, but it was enough to shake Lena’s mind.

She quickly spoke at the words of Jude.

“Can you prove it? No, even if you’re Landius’ real disciple…”

“May the muscles always be with you!”

It was Cordelia.

As she jumped up from her spot and shouted, Bellagio and Kaplan suddenly blinked
their eyes at the words that seemed like nonsense, and even Jude was embarrassed.

But not for Lena.

Although it was hard to see her face because of her hood, she evidently became
dazed but soon nodded her head.

“Landius’ acquaintance… moreover, a close acquaintance.”

Because Landius was the only one who made such an odd greeting.

In addition, Landius wished for the protection of muscles only to his really close
acquaintances, which was something Jude and Cordelia didn’t know.

“Yes! Jude is Landius’ disciple!”

When Cordelia spoke again, Jude came to his senses and followed up to her words.

“Master taught me the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors. As I said before, I am Jude Bayer.
This is my fiancee, Cordelia Chase.”

Lena reacted once again to Jude’s words.

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

After the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom, Landius declared that he would devote his
life in mastering the transcendental being’s martial art.
It wasn’t just Lena who was surprised.

Kaplan managed to keep with the current conversation and expressed his shock at
something completely different from Lena.

“Bayer and Chase! You two were children from the 12 northern families!”

Among the 12 families in the northern part of the Salen Kingdom, it wasn’t an
exaggeration to say that the Bayer and Chase families were particularly well-known.

“No, wait. So you’re saying that you are children from the 12 northern families, and
at the same time, you are researchers at the capital’s academy and also members of
the Guardians of the Holy Cross, and that you’re the current disciple of Iron Man
Landius?!”

“Yes, roughly.”

They weren’t researchers at the capital’s academy.

But Cordelia had become accustomed to ‘I didn’t lie’ kind of words that she had
learned from Jude.

In any case, what Kaplan said didn’t matter right now.

Jude stepped closer to Lena and said.

“We must close the Hell Gate. It’s still in the early stages, or to be exact, it is close to
the end of the first stage and the start of the second stage, so if it continues to grow,
it would be a catastrophe. When it reaches the fourth stage and a Demon Prince
descends, the tragedy of Paragon will be repeated in the wild lands.”

Lena already knew about that fact, but Jude had to mention it.

It was to convey to Lena that their group was not ignorant about the Hell Gate too.

“I’m Landius’ disciple. I’ve inherited the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors though I’ve only
been able to open up to the third door. As for Cordelia, she inherited the power of the
witch, or more known as the ‘Witch of the West Forest.’ Whether it’s something small
or big, we will help.”
Lena reacted again to his barrage of words.

Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors and the Witch of the West Forest, which was the
nickname of the witch who confronted the overlord of hell in the past, was enough to
stir her heart.

“But… but it’s really dangerous.”

“Of course. It is dangerous. But Master Lena closing the Hell Gate would also be in
danger. So please allow us to help. Isn’t there a saying that two heads are better than
one?”

At his sincere words, Lena covered her face with both hands and soon nodded.

“Okay, let’s do it together. I think you already know… I am Lena Ainsburg.”

“I’m Jude.”

“I’m Cordelia!”

Cordelia quickly followed up after watching Jude convince the anxious Lena.

“Jude and Cordelia. The one over there…”

“I-I’m Indiana Kaplan. I’m a professor at the institutional academy of Argon Empire.”

Kaplan stammered a little, but after he introduced himself, Lena nodded and then
told Jude and Cordelia again.

“I think you’ve already figured out the situation to some extent, so I’ll tell you quickly.
As Jude said, the Hell Gate is at the second half of the first stage. If we leave it like
this, it will enter into the second stage, and then higher-class monsters will appear.
Named demons will also be able to descend. So we have to close the Hell Gate before
that happens.”

There were two ways to close the Hell Gate., and one of them was the ‘Heavenly Seal,’
a heavenly spell that the sun god taught when it descended in this world.

“Are you going to use the Heavenly Seal?”

Lena was surprised at Jude’s question but immediately nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. But I wasn’t strong enough to use the Heavenly Seal, so I was
working on a plan.”

“You’re… not strong enough?”

Cordelia asked as her eyes blinked.

She would react like that because it was the Holy Angel Lena, and not anyone else,
who was standing before her.

Having acquired the power of an angel through Ancestral Regression, she was no
longer human.

She was the strongest of the five heroes if one was to only talk about the amount of
mana.

So it didn’t make sense for Lena to not have enough power to properly use the
Heavenly Seal.

‘There’s something.’

Although the Heavenly Seal was a spell that required an enormous amount of mana,
it did not require enough power to the point that it would take Lena’s life.

But Lena sealed the Hell Gate and died from exhausting her power.

Why?

What is the missing link between the two?

And one more.

How did Lena know about it and came here?

As Jude himself and Lena had said several times now, the Hell Gate was around the
second half of the first stage.

At this stage, the power of hell did not leak out of Endymion.
Even the Fairy Queen, whose territory was currently at the outskirts of Endymion,
did not know about the existence of the Hell Gate.

But how did Lena know about it?

By chance?

When Lena came to Endymion, the Hell Gate was already opened?

It wasn’t an impossible situation.

But other questions arose here.

Who opened the Hell Gate?

Why was the Hell Gate opened?

These questions were listed in Jude’s mind.

Lena’s death.

Lena’s condition of being unable to properly use the Heavenly Seal.

Lena finding out that the Hell Gate was opened in Endymion faster than anyone else.

Instead of asking someone for help, she handled the situation alone.

‘The Hell Gate. The reason why the Hell Gate opened.’

During the time when Lena hesitated to immediately answer Cordelia’s question,
Jude made a deduction.

One answer came out.

“Lena, it was you.”

It was consistent and reasonable with his earlier and later words.

Cordelia and Kaplan couldn’t understand what he meant.

But not for Lena.

She hunched her shoulders and clenched her teeth. Her face was not visible because
it was covered by her hood, but he could imagine her distressed face.

“Jude?”

When Cordelia called him, Jude closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He came to an answer that could explain the entire current situation.

He said as he looked at Lena and not Cordelia.

“Lena, you opened the Hell Gate.”

It was not the Devil’s Eye.

They were not involved in this situation at all.

It was the Holy Angel Lena who opened the Hell Gate.

Cordelia was stunned at Jude’s words, and Lena nodded her head. She said as she
took off the hood she was wearing on her head.

“You are right, Jude. I… opened the Hell Gate.”

Holy Angel Lena.

A bright, gentle, and benevolent woman. A kind woman who suited the word ‘angel’
more than anyone else.

She opened the Hell Gate.

Because of that, countless monsters entered Endymion.

But rather than that fact, Cordelia was troubled by something else.

Her eyes widely opened, and she approached Lena.

“Lena!”

Lena’s face wasn’t the one that Cordelia knew.

It was also different from her dying face in the cinematic movie.

Her hair was still blonde, but her white skin was now a pale purple.

She now had red and black eyes instead of her clear blue eyes. The white sclera in
her eyes were now completely black, and her red eyes had slit pupils like that of a
serpent’s eyes.

What had happened?

Lena was originally a holy angel.

She was an angel of this world, someone who gained the power of an angel through
Ancestral Regression.

“Don’t come too close. You can’t come close.”

Lena hurriedly retreated to avoid Cordelia’s hand.

The teary-faced Cordelia turned to Jude.

Cordelia didn’t know why Lena became like this now, but she at least knew what
Lena’s condition was.

‘Demon Syndrome.’

A disease that ate away a creature’s body when exposed to the aura of hell.

Most humans immediately died the moment they were exposed to the aura of hell,
but some people who were mentally and physically strong ended up having Demon
Syndrome.

The effect of Demon Syndrome was simple.

The afflicted creature becomes a demon.

They usually became lower-ranking demons with almost no intellectual capacities,

but those who had well-trained bodies and truly noble and strong minds became
demons with intellectual capacities.

And now, Lena had Demon Syndrome.

Through that, Jude was able to come up with a more complete answer.

“You escaped from hell. And in the process, the Hell Gate opened.”

Lena slowly nodded.

“I was dragged to hell when I was fighting demons in the Argon Empire. I struggled
and fought many times there and was able to barely escape at the end… but in the
aftermath, the Hell Gate opened.”

Lena had a very distressed look.

She thought of the tragedy of Paragon and of all her loved ones whom she lost,
including her master who she considered as her father.
However, she had opened the Hell Gate with her own hands, which might once again
lead to something similar to the tragedy of Paragon.

She couldn’t bear it.

She had to solve this problem even at the expense of her own life.

‘She couldn’t properly use the angel’s power because of the Demon Syndrome. But
just before she died, she recovered from the Demon Syndrome because she
completely used up her angel powers.’

It made sense.

Lena sacrificed herself to close the Hell Gate and then died a lonely death.

“I have to close the Hell Gate. I’ll do anything to close it.”

Lena said in an earnest tone.

Her expression and voice seemed like she was confessing her fault.

“It’s not Lena’s fault.”

Cordelia said.

But Lena shook her head.

“No, it’s my fault…”

“No. Definitely no. You didn’t open the gate on purpose. You’re a good person, and
you’re still trying to somehow close the Hell Gate. That’s right. So don’t look so
distressed. Jude and I will help you. We’ll close the gate together and go back happy
and laughing.”

Cordelia poured out her thoughts as she held Lena’s hand and then smiled.

Her words might not have presented a solution to their problem, but Lena smiled
after hearing Cordelia.

It started awkwardly, but for the first time since the Hell Gate opened, Lena had a
proper smile.

And that made Cordelia smile even more.

With a broad smile, she said as she hugged Lena.

“We can do it. My Jude is excellent. Jude will somehow find a solution. Isn’t that
right?”

This time again, her words offered no solutions.

But at her words full of strong faith in him, Jude nodded his head.

“We can do it. So let’s check the situation first. Lena, do you have a way to replenish
your powers?”

Jude began to lead the conversation.

Lena looked back at Cordelia and Jude instead of replying immediately, and soon, she
smiled again.

‘It’s like I’m with Landius.’

A person who was absurdly optimistic and reliable that could make one feel at ease
anytime and anywhere.

“I’m thinking of using Endymion’s Grand Magic Circle.”

Lena moved her hand in the air and used magic.

After a full map of Endymion appeared in the air, a complex figure made of white
light was drawn over the map.

“The ancient High Elves bet on everything for their final decisive battle against the
Demon Prince in Endymion… and as a result, the entire capital became a weapon
itself.”

After absorbing the mana of all the citizens living in the capital at once, the magic
circle was activated to inject the concentrated and amplified power into one person
who would fight against the Demon Prince.
“I discovered that there’s still a lot of mana stored in Endymion. If we activate the
magic circle… we can somehow gather the mana necessary to use the Heavenly Seal.”

It was a plausible solution.

But Jude thought of a problem in her solution, while Cordelia instinctively realized it.

‘The method Lena used in the original.’

That one and only method led to Lena’s death in the end.

But she didn’t die because of that method alone.

Something must have changed and brought her harm.

“Wait, if you use this magic circle, shouldn’t an angel be the target of the gathered
mana?”

At that moment, Kaplan, whose presence was almost forgotten together with
Bellagio, spoke as he looked at the full map in the air.

As a professor in archeology at the institutional academy, he was familiar with

ancient languages.

“That…”

Lena hesitated for a moment as if she had been stabbed in her sore spot before she
slowly said again.

“Yes, in order to use that magic, one must have the genes of an angel. Though I am
afflicted with Demon Syndrome… I haven’t lost my angel’s genes. That is why I’m
sure that I can do it.”

Lena said that with a smile, but Jude and Cordelia were not fooled.

It was this.

It was the reason why Lena lost her life.

Lena was not a real angel right now because of her Demon Syndrome. So Lena was
greatly hit and suffered from the concentrated sacred power.

So they had to change her plan.

And the two had another solution.

‘I’ll do it.’

Cordelia said to Jude with her eyes.

Although she had not yet used Ancestral Regression, Cordelia had the genes of an
angel.

She fought against the demons with the witch’s power, but she wouldn’t be dealt a
huge blow by the sacred power if she was not transformed into a witch.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Definitely.’

Cordelia’s eyes seemed to be on fire.

Therefore, Jude conceded.

It was impossible to stop the current Cordelia.

Jude wanted to avoid Cordelia’s plan, but she was correct.

The best solution was for Cordelia to replace Lena.

“Let’s do it.”

“Leave it to me.”

After she charmingly smiled, Cordelia straight away began to explain about herself to
Lena, while Jude turned to Kaplan.

“Will you help us, Sir Kaplan?”

“Me?”
“Yes, we need Sir Kaplan’s help in activating the magic circle. Someone has to
manipulate the console in order to operate the magic circle.”

This was Jude’s first time in Endymion, but not the first in Magellan, the magic
kingdom of the High Elves. He had already encountered a similar kind of magic circle
somewhere in the ruins of Magellan.

‘The reason why it took so long for Lena was because she did everything herself.’

But not now. If Kaplan was here, it would be possible to easily operate the console
which used the ancient language of the High Elves.

“I’m glad that Sir Kaplan is here.”

Kaplan flinched at Jude’s words, but he soon nodded and widely smiled.

“Leave it to me. I’ve seen something similar in my research.”

“Yes, I believe in you.”

After tapping Kaplan on his shoulder, Jude advanced towards Cordelia and Lena.

Lena was a little surprised at Cordelia’s explanation, but instead of being doubtful,
she looked apologetic.

“The burden will be great.”

“It’s okay. Even if I look like this, I’m very strong.”

Cordelia grinned and thumped her chest before she turned to Jude.

“Jude, when we activate the magic circle, the demons will notice. So we need to turn
their gaze somewhere… why is your face like that?”

“No, it’s just amazing that you came up with this… I’m sorry. Please don’t hit me.”

When Jude made a playful remark, Cordelia clenched her fist and made a ‘hmph’
sound, but she soon loosened her face.

In the first place, she knew that he was trying to lighten the mood because of Lena.
“Lena, please draw the magic circle for the Heavenly Seal.”

It was absolutely impossible for them to currently learn high-ranking magic such as
the Heavenly Seal with little preparation.

Lena smiled again at Cordelia’s request.

“Yes, I’ll prepare it right away.”

In just a few minutes, the group’s mood completely changed.

Close the Hell Gate and solve Endymion’s problem. Save Lena’s life.

“We can do it.”

Jude said in a small voice and then took a step forward.

They began their operation.

***

In order to activate Endymion’s magic circle, all nine magic stones at the outskirts of
the underground city had to be activated.

But it wasn’t that difficult.

Six of them were already activated by Lena.

While Kaplan controlled the console and Lena drew the magic circle of the Heavenly
Seal, Jude traveled around the outskirts of the city and activated the remaining magic
stones.

Jude used the Twenty-Four Gale Steps to jump to higher places in order to hide from
the low-ranking demons who did not have a proper command system. He hid so well
that even his shadow was not noticed by the monsters.

He finally activated the last magic stone.

Now, it was time to return to the central tower and join Lena in order to begin their
feint operation of drawing the demons’ attention.
“Jude!”

“Lena!”

Upon reaching the first floor of the tower, Lena quickly came to him. She had just
finished drawing the magic circle.

Everything went smoothly.

If their plan proceeded as it is, they would be able to close the Hell Gate successfully.

But as always, not everything went according to plan.

Time had passed while he traveled around activating the magic stones.

The Hell Gate finally went beyond the first stage and began its transition into the
second stage.

Aaaaah-!

Something like a ghost’s wail shook the entire underground city.

The aura of hell became much stronger, and an overpowering dark and cold energy
spread everywhere.

The Hell Gate also became bigger.

The crack grew wider and it now really looked like a gate.

And more demons began to cross over.

A Named Demon also appeared.

Their distance was quite far.

The distance between the Hell Gate and the tower was hundreds of meters.

But it was still huge enough to be clearly seen.

On a huge chariot pulled by hell dogs stood a Lacto that emitted a powerful energy.
It wasn’t a common Lacto but a powerful Named Demon.

As soon as it appeared, the air in the underground city shook once again.

Its appearance alone made their hairs stood on end.

“Bandaizel.”

Jude and Lena spoke almost simultaneously.

For Jude, it was a boss who appeared in the middle of Legend of Heroes 2, and for
Lena, it was a persistent pursuer who chased after her several times in Hell.

‘We need to draw the attention of this guy.’

Bandaizel wasn’t normally a strong opponent.

But if they thoughtlessly activated the magic circle, the tower could be smashed
before the magic circle concentrated its power on Cordelia.

So they had to fight him and buy some time.

Jude and Lena’s job was to keep him away from the tower.

“We need to hold our ground for 3 minutes.”

Lena smiled at Jude’s words.

“Yes, three minutes.”

“It’s going to be a really long three minutes.”

“I know.”

Lena was not in normal condition now.

But she was one of the five heroes.

Even though she had the Demon Syndrome, she was still one of the heroes who
ended the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom.
‘It’s a strange feeling.’

He was fighting together with the hero in the first episode of Legend of Heroes.

They were in an equal position, and not him being protected or helped.

‘I must be a little crazy too.’

His heart was pounding amidst their situation.

“Let’s go, Jude.”

“Yes, Lena.”

Jude and Lena moved towards the Hell Gate.

And Bandaizel sensed them.

Standing in front of the Hell Gate, he looked at the far distance and sneered.

“Lena.”

Bandaizel was a named demon.

At the moment he appeared, the group of monsters who were moving around
without any order suddenly transformed into an army.

Everyone looked in the same direction at once.

There was still some distance from them. Dozens of buildings were lined up in
between them.

But that didn’t mean much.

“It’s three minutes.”

“3 minutes.”

It would work out somehow.

Jude grinned and activated the power of Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

Lena also focused her mana on both of her hands.

“Cordelia.”

Jude unconsciously spoke, and his words became a signal.

Jude and Lena kicked the ground.

At the same time, Bandaizel loudly shouted, and the charging of the monsters from
hell reverberated on the ground.

Booooom-!

Another sound was added.

The ground roared and a strong and beautiful light instantly drove out the darkness
of the underground city.

Pillars of light rose up from the nine magic stones at once.

The ground lit up, and the mighty and ancient magic circle began to operate.

The demons hesitated for a moment.

But not Bandaizel.

He didn’t have a clear grasp of what was happening now, but he knew well of the fact
that he had to move right away.

“Break it! Destroy it! Sweep it all away!”

At Bandaizel’s yell, the demons began to move again.

Bandaizel spread out his large wings and spurred the chariot.

Jude and Lena split up to play their respective roles.

Lena was the only one who could stop the numerous monsters that were flocking
towards the tower.

Thus, Jude’s role was naturally fixed.

“3 minutes.”

Round 1 against Bandaizel.

“Cordelia.”

Jude recited Cordelia’s name once again as if in prayer before he began moving. He
flew towards Bandaizel who was charging straight towards the tower.

Black Dragon Cross Strike!

He showed off his strongest skill from the very beginning.

Bandaizel stopped his charge as the mighty black cross broke through the air. He
swung his iron whip on the black cross that was rushing towards him.

Baaaang!

The black cross was instantly destroyed. In addition, the air was torn apart, and
above the ground, flames rose along the trajectory of the whip.

A Named Demon.

An unsealed and powerful monster that just came out of hell.

The demon smiled.

He sighted Jude beyond the place where he destroyed the black cross.

“Hi.”

Jude said, and the monster went mad. He generated black waves that were like
flames, and then charged towards Jude.

Crack!
The iron whip cracked through the air again.

And everything in its trajectory was destroyed.

Ruuuumble! Booom!

It wasn’t thunder. It was the sound of the buildings collapsing at once.

Jude kicked the ground. He ran through the rubble of the collapsing building.

‘Let’s focus on evasion.’

He had to act like Outboxer.

He had no chances of winning in a head-to-head confrontation. He had to fool the

enemy with his mobility.

Faster.

A little faster!

Boom!

A huge hammer smashed the place where Jude had just stood.

Bandaizel had a warhammer on his right hand.

He was about 7 meters tall.

He was like a giant to Jude, but he was not slow.

Bang!

There was a loud noise again.

It was Jude this time. Rather than widening his distance from Bandaizel, he
narrowed it down as he created a whirlwind and became a gale.

Running around wasn’t the only way to get its attention.

Hell’s Blood Slash.

The red sword slashed Bandaizel’s waist.

It was a shallow slash.

But the slash was enough to cause bleeding.

“You little rat!”

The enraged Bandaizel furiously shouted and turned around as he flung his whip
towards Jude.

A sharp and fast attack.

His attack was inescapable.

Therefore, Jude did not avoid it. He did not deviate from the trajectory of the iron
whip.

Crack!

The ground was destroyed.

But Jude wasn’t. He ignored the attack through the use of the Fairy Steps.

After the attack passed through him, he began sprinting.

“Baaastard!”

Bandaizel spread out his wings.

It was a fast action.

So Jude had to be faster.

Twenty-Four Gale Steps – Black Wind’s Advent.

A pitch-black wind blew.

The black wind moved between the buildings, breaking and splitting some of the
buildings.

“Uoooh!”

Bandaizel raised his speed. His iron wind tore apart the space itself, and his angry
roar shook the black wind as well as the air.

“Ack!”

The running Jude got thrown on the ground. He couldn’t completely avoid the wave-
like attack, so he rolled on the floor and Bandaizel appeared in front of Jude,
swinging down his hammer at that moment.

Boom!

He rolled and avoided it.

But once was his limit.

When Bandaizel flung his iron whip again, he had now way of escaping this time.

The iron whip cracked through the air.

It rushed to turn Jude into a pool of blood.

He had already used the Fairy Steps.

So he had to use something else.

He had to avoid the attack somehow.

What should I do?

There was no time.

The Black Dragon Cross Strike took too much time.

It was impossible to avoid the iron whip that struck the surroundings by a few steps.
What should I do then?

How do I do it?

In that moment.

In that crack of time.

Jude calculated.

No, he didn’t calculate it.

At that moment, he felt it instinctively like Cordelia.

It was new and strange to him.

It was such a short time, but he was able to think in that moment.

It was even possible to recite the mnemonic chant.

So Jude acted.

He added the mnemonic chant of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors to the Thirty-Six
World Steps, not the Twenty-Four Gale Steps.

Just as the Holy Cross Punch advanced to the Black Dragon Cross Strike, it gave new
power to the Thirty-Six World Steps.

And the result…

Baaaaang!

It was like thunder.

The fearsome iron whip struck and swept the surrounding area, destroying
everything.

But Bandaizel couldn’t smile.

His face was distorted.

Because not everything was destroyed.

There was a man who stood alive amidst the storm of fearsome destruction.

Jude was standing.

He didn’t move far away.

He stood on the spot where he originally stood.

The Thirty-Six World Steps was a footwork skill that defended the user by evading
attacks that came from all directions.

Moreover, the power of the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors was added.

Thus, Jude was able to escape.

No matter how violent the iron whip’s attack was, in the end, it was an attack that
created a single line.

If he could pinpoint the direction in which that line landed, he could completely
avoid that single line.

With the Thirty-Six World Steps, it became possible to fly in any direction
continuously and deviate from the trajectory of the whip’s attack.

Thus, he finally avoided the attack itself.

“Ugh.”

Jude roughly breathed. Subsequently, blood flowed down from his lips, and his legs
shook before he collapsed onto the ground.

‘It’s still too much.’

He couldn’t handle it properly.

Avoiding the attack was a miracle in itself.

Bandaizel was bewildered.

But he soon regained his reason.

It was true that Jude made a miraculous move, but he was now seated on the ground.

“Die.”

A cliche line.

The sitting Jude panted as he saw the enemy’s hammer, but he remained on the
ground.

He recited the name of a person.

“Cordelia.”

It was time.

Three minutes had passed.

The tower began to shine.

Bandaizel realized it too.

He didn’t know that an immense amount of power was concentrated on the tower.

But he didn’t care.

He was in a hurry to kill Jude who was right in front of him.

He didn’t make the mistake of looking at the tower.

He just consistently held the hammer.

He wanted to strike and crush the enemy in front of him.

That was the right thing to do.

This was his iron rule that had saved his life many times.

But that was why Bandaizel didn’t see it.

The approach of a woman who valued Jude’s life more than the closing of the Hell
Gate.

Instead of activating the magic circle as soon as she gained Endymion’s power, the
woman rushed to the ground with clenched fists.

“Jude!”

Boom!

There was a roar.

Bandaizel was forced to look back, but it was already late at that time. An intangible
force that was so powerful struck Bandaizel and blew him away.

Craaaaash!

The giant Bandaizel rolled on the ground and crashed into a building.

And Cordelia didn’t care.

Her whole body was covered with a pure and white light, and she landed next to
Jude.

“Hey! Are you okay? Hey!”

“I’m okay, I’m okay.”

He was grateful for her concern, but it was rather difficult to breathe because she
pulled on his collar.

“The seal, quickly…”

Jude said as he held Cordelia’s hand.

He was thankful that she ran to save him, but she had to hurry to close the Hell Gate.

Endymion’s power could be maintained for a few seconds at most. She also had to go
back to the tower and activate the magic circle of the Heavenly Seal that Lena
installed on the top floor of the tower.
However, it was before Jude could finish what he wanted to say.

Bandaizel stood up again.

At the same time he got up, he sent off a powerful air wave, and Cordelia hurriedly
waved her hand to stop him.

Boooom!

There was a terrible loud sound, and Cordelia swallowed her scream. Because
Endymion’s power was too strong.

If she continued maintaining that power, Cordelia herself would be destroyed.

Jude figured it out too.

So he tried to speak again, but Cordelia was faster.

She suddenly made a charming smile and said as she looked straight at Jude.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Do you trust me?”

What is she talking about all of a sudden?

At the moment when Jude made a confused expression, the blown away Bandaizel
broke the rubble of the building and stood up again.

There was no time now.

Jude stared at Cordelia.

Cordelia was looking at Jude herself with a smile that showed her front teeth.

As he stared at those blue eyes, Jude nodded.

“I trust you.”
“Then I’ll do it. Luke will take care of Kaplan, so don’t worry about him.”

“Huh?”

That was it. Cordelia didn’t talk about it anymore.

She was going to do it.

Jude trusted her, so she would do it.

Cordelia stood straight and looked at Bandaizel.

She spoke to him and Jude at the same time.

“I figured it out while I was looking at the map on the tower. There was a dragon vein
flowing under here too, you know?”

A flowing dragon vein.

What do you mean all of a sudden?

Why all of a sudden-

He understood.

He realized it.

So Jude jumped up and shouted.

“Hey! Hey!”

No! Hey! No way! Hey!

But it was too late.

He already said that he trusted her.

“The second way to close the Hell Gate.”

And that was to destroy the place where the Hell Gate had opened.
“As a bonus, the demons are also defeated.”

Bandaizel still couldn’t comprehend it.

Instead of stopping Cordelia, Jude gave up and closed his eyes.

And Cordelia ferociously smiled as her teeth shined. She gathered all of Endymion’s
power and created a <Spear of Calamity> before stabbing it into the ground.

The power of Endymion hit the dragon vein.

And what occurred because of it.

The stuff that was done by Cordelia.

“F*ck bang.”

The moment Cordelia gracefully spoke.

The dragon vein runaway along with a tremendous roar.

The last day of the underground city of Endymion had begun.

The day of destruction.

It was the last day of Endymion, the capital of the magic kingdom of Magellan, which
did not collapse even in a direct confrontation with the mighty Demon Prince of Hell.

Ruuuuumble-!

At first, it was a vibration.

Soon there was a tremendous roar, and the surrounding area – no, the whole
underground shook.

Craaack! Craaack!

It was not an ordinary earthquake.

Dozens to hundreds of cracks appeared on the ground. The huge cracks spread,
destroying the beautiful and elegant buildings built by the High Elves a long time
ago.

Boooom! Craaaash!

Hundreds of buildings collapsed like dominoes.

It did not stop after that, as the reverberation on the ground grew stronger and
countless debris began falling down from the ceiling.

Dragon vein.

A great stream of power that flowed in the underground of the wild lands.

A strong and unusual power that was the wild gods’ source of power.
A portion of it began to run out of control.

The dragon vein that the High Elves used as the city’s energy source in the past now
exploded after having been stimulated by the Spear of Calamity.

Baaaaang!

Flames shot up through the torn ground.

And then there was a blinding light.

The terrifying power soared to the ceiling and destroyed everything it came across.

It only took a few seconds for all of these to happen.

“Aaaaah!”

“Waaah!”

“Gaaaak!”

The monsters from hell were screaming.

Even Bandaizel struggled in the midst of the fearsome natural disaster, so he couldn’t
look back at Jude and Cordelia.

But not for Jude.

He opened his eyes and shouted, grasping Cordelia’s shoulders.

“Hey! You’re crazy!”

They were in an emergency and an extremely dangerous situation, but he couldn’t

help but say those words to her.

And Cordelia struck back at such Jude.

“You said that you trusted me!”

“F*ck! Why did I trust you!”

“Ugh! You cursed! That’s too much!”

“You always do it!”

That was it.

They ran out of time to argue.

The ground shook and then collapsed as it began to sink, and the ceiling also fell
down.

The rubble that crashed into the ground scattered in all directions.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“F*ck.”

Jude cursed again.

It was a serious expression and not an exclamation, but Cordelia didn’t care. Cordelia
suddenly hugged him and shouted.

“I trust in you too!”

And she activated the shield.

After using up most of her power to create the Spear of Calamity, she used her
remaining power to activate Count Chase’s ring. A translucent blue shield appeared
and covered the two.

“Fuuuck.”

Jude swore again and then carried Cordelia.

He carried her with the so-called princess carry and then looked up at the ceiling.

“I trust you.”

Cordelia’s voice sounded small when compared to the roaring sounds around them.
But instead of responding to her, Jude immediately jumped up.
It was something that was seriously crazy to do, but if he didn’t, they would die.

“Uooooooh!”

He darted on the collapsing ground.

He grasped the location of the falling debris and computed his route in an instant.

Jude held his breath.

He created a whirlwind and used it to fly up like a gale.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The deafening roars continued.

In the midst of that, Jude continued to yell. He climbed up and up, kicking on the
falling debris.

Bang!

The wreckage hit their shield.

They were not injured because of the shield, but it caused Jude to fall down.

But it was only for a moment.

Jude spun around in the air and created a strong wind, and their fall stopped at that
moment.

Cordelia hugged Jude’s neck, and supported him with <Fly> magic.

“Let’s goooo!”

Cordelia cried and Jude turned himself around again.

He used the whirlwind to break through the debris.

Baaaaang!
The whirlwind blew away the debris.

The shield pushed away the small rubble.

Just a little further.

He avoided the wreckage.

He avoided the collapsing ceiling…

Booom!

But it was too much.

The falling debris from the ceiling this time was too big.

As if it covered the sky.

However, Jude didn’t give up.

He strengthened his arms that held Cordelia and then shouted.

“Cordelia!”

“OK!”

Jude removed the shield.

Cordelia threw a <Spear of Calamity> into the sky, which she had made by scraping
up her remaining energy.

“Spiral!”

The Spear of Calamity rotated and pierced the ceiling like a drill. It didn’t completely
destroy the debris, but it succeeded in making a hole.

Jude rushed through that hole.

After he passed through the hole that was 2 meters in diameter, he made another
leap by using the large ceiling rubble as a foothold.
“Uooooh!”

“It’s the sky!”

It was as Cordelia said.

The chilly blue sky welcomed Jude and Cordelia.

The sunlight that poured down was so beautiful.

They finally saw the sky.

The soaring Jude looked down at the ground, and unknowingly apologized to
countless people.

A huge crater emerged, measuring hundreds of meters in diameter.

Hundreds and thousands of pieces of broken wreckage were messily piled upon the
shattered ground.

“Crazy.”

“Ehehe.”

The last one was Cordelia. She had an awkward look as if she was ashamed, but she
still stuck out her tongue.

And Jude landed on the ground.

Jude stared at Cordelia with a face full of mixed feelings, and Cordelia squeezed her
lips once and tried to make an excuse.

But not yet.

Ruumble…

It was quite silent at first.

Ruuuumble!
But the sound grew louder.

It was not the sound of the already destroyed underground city.

The cracks continued to spread out.

The cracks stretched out as if it wanted to destroy not only the central underground
city, but also the entire Endymion, and it eventually began to spread through the
Raptor Canyon.

“Uh…”

At the moment the dazed Cordelia said that…

Baaaaaaang!

The second major collapse began.

An avalanche occurred when parts of the Raptor Canyon collapsed, followed by a

series of explosions and collapses across an area spanning hundreds of meters in
diameter and several kilometers in length.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Unexpectedly, the time of the crashing itself was short.

Because everything shattered and crashed all at once.

Ruuumble…

It was the last sound they heard from afar.

Silence followed afterwards.

The canyon surrounding Endymion collapsed halfway down, and the direction of the
wind changed, so the blowing wind struck Jude and Cordelia.

A few seconds passed.

Jude put Cordelia down on the ground, and as she stood, Cordelia hesitated for a
moment before she awkwardly smiled and made a V-sign with her fingers.

“P-problem solved!”

Because in spite of what preceded, the Hell Gate was closed.

Because they achieved their goal.

Jude quietly stared at such Cordelia and moved.

He raised both of his hands and pinched Cordelia’s cheeks.

“Problem solved? Problem solved? What problem was solved?”

As he pulled her soft cheeks to the side, Cordelia became teary-eyed and
immediately launched a counterattack.

“I sholved the froblem!”

As she said with a strange pronunciation, Cordelia pinched Jude’s cheeks too.

“Heyyyy? What are you doooing?!”

“Owww! It hurts! Schtapp!”

When Jude increased his pulling strength, Cordelia shouted almost as if she was
crying, but she didn’t back down.

Cordelia pinched him harder when he didn’t let go of her cheeks.

“Let gwooo!”

“You leeet go firssst!”

It was the moment when they continued to pinch each other in the cheeks.

Papapapapapa-!

White rings of light appeared in succession around Jude and Cordelia.

It came so quickly that it was hard to count, but it seemed to be close to ten.

“Revel-up! Level-up! Thanks to me!”

Because they had wiped out the monsters from hell who broke into Endymion.

The experienced was reduced because it was an indirect defeat and not a direct one,
but the number of the monsters was so high that they leveled up a lot.

“Let gwo! Let gwoo!”

“Ugh.”

At Cordelia’s insistence, Jude let go first as he grunted.

Then Cordelia took her hand off Jude’s cheek, not to keep their agreement, but to
cover her own cheeks.

“Ack! It really hurts. It’s too much. You’re mean.”

The sight of a beautiful girl crying as she covered her burning red cheeks was
enough to make Jude a bad guy in the world’s eyes, but only Jude and Cordelia were
here.

Jude said as his eyes narrowed.

“Think about what you did based on your conscience.”

“Sob, sob. You said that you trusted me.”

At the time when Cordelia pretended to cry again…

Booom!

With a loud noise, Lena broke through the debris and appeared.

Moreover, she was not alone. The pale-faced Kaplan and the Bellagio, Luke, also
pushed their heads out of the ground.

“Jude? Cordelia?”
“Lena! I’m glad you’re okay!”

Cordelia ran straight to Lena and exclaimed, and Jude moved towards them after
sighing.

Lena was strong, but he had been worried about Kaplan and Luke.

And after a few steps…

What Jude had expected happened.

“E-Endymion! Endymion, the capital of the magic kingdom of Magellan…!”

Kaplan was an archeologist, and he knew the value of Endymion better than anyone
else here.

“Aaah… aah…”

As he grabbed the back of his neck and staggered, Kaplan fell down because of his
internal distress, and Jude understood why it made him like that.

The ancient ruins had been intact for over a thousand years. The city of the High
Elves that survived the battle against the mighty Demon Prince, was now destroyed
to the point where it was hard to find any traces of it… It was a complete tragedy.

“Haa-haa. Woof-woof!”

Luke barked as it licked the distressed Kaplan’s cheek.

Unlike Cordelia, Jude couldn’t understand the animal’s words, but it seemed like
Luke was saying to Kaplan that it was okay.

And in the midst of this, Cordelia embraced Lena and asked with a big smile.

“Lena! The Hell Gate is gone, right?”

“Yes? Uh… yes. It must have disappeared. Probably… no, absolutely…”

It was not an exaggeration to say that Endymion itself was gone.

With her mouth wide open, Lena stared blankly at the surrounding area after the
great destruction, but Cordelia was pleased with her answer.

She turned to Jude and brightly smiled, flashing a V-sign again.

“I solved the problem after all! Whaach?!”

The strange sound at the end of her words was because Jude pinched her cheeks
again.

“It hurts!”

“I’m pinching you so that you’ll feel the pain.”

Though his thoughts were slightly different this time.

‘It’s soft and smooth.’

Her rebellious side when she was being pinched was also cute.

With a bit of an ulterior motive, Jude continued to punish Cordelia.

“Aaaaaaaaah!”

A fearsome roar came from afar.

No, it was clearly an angry voice.

Boooom!

The huge demon flew out of the wreckage.

Bandaizel.

The leader of the Lactos soared from the rubble and spread out its huge bat wings.

After all, it was a named demon.

He managed to stay alive while the other monsters from hell were being wiped out.
“Bandaizel…”

Tension spread over Lena’s face.

But not for Jude and Cordelia.

Cordelia turned while her cheeks were still being pinched, and Jude gently removed
his hands on her cheeks before turning around.

Bandaizel.

The demon released its power in its rage.

“He’s covered in blood.”

“He’s hurt a lot.”

“His head is bleeding.”

“If you look closely, his horns are a bit broken.”

Bandaizel was not able to easily avoid the debris because of his large size.

He had felt like he was buried alive under the rubble.

“So Jude. Isn’t this situation familiar?”

“It’s happened before.”

“Isn’t it? It’s the same as then, right?”

The stage boss who was half dead because the stage itself was destroyed.

A smile spread over Jude and Cordelia’s faces.

And from afar, Bandaizel finally caught sight of Jude and Cordelia and then burst into
an angry roar again.

“Aaaaah! What color is your blood!”

He couldn’t believe that they destroyed the city itself.

If the ancient High Elves knew about this, they would cry tears of blood!

But Jude and Cordelia didn’t think that way.

Cordelia said as her eyes sparkled.

“They’re the same.”

“It looks like they’re teaching cliche lines in hell.”

“Yeah. It’s getting frequent.”

Jude and Cordelia began talking nonsense as usual before they looked at each other
and took out potion bottles.

And they gulped it down.

Bandaizel was enraged again.

Lena alternately looked at Jude, Cordelia and Bandaizel with a mixture of tension
and confusion. After they had emptied the potion bottles at once, Jude and Cordelia
turned at the same time. They simultaneously threw the potion bottles and then
stepped forward as they talked.

“Shall we start the boss fight?”

“This time, it’s not phase 3… it’s around phase 2.”

Bandaizel’s condition was better than the mid-ranking demonic human whom they
had faced before.

Even if his condition had worsened, he was still a named demon.

But Cordelia wasn’t worried.

She said as her teeth shone.

“It’s all right. Because we have Lena.”

“Shall we ask for help?”

“It’s time to repay us.”

The dazed Lena blinked her eyes because she didn’t understand what they were
talking about.

Jude and Cordelia stared back at each other. They exchanged glances, and at the
same time, the two spurred on the ground.

Terms used in this chapter:

What color is your blood? – a famous quote of the character Rei from the Japanese
series Fist of the North Star. Frequently used when criticizing villains for their evil
deeds.
Bandaizel was strong.

Although he didn’t have a title, he was still a Named Demon.

“Very powerful physical abilities.”

“Weak magic abilities.”

“But his magic is strong.”

“His true name is unknown.”

While they were talking at a distance, Bandaizel clenched his fists and cursed.

“I’ll drag you two to hell. I’ll make you realize how merciful death is!”

There was power in the demon’s words.

Bandaizel’s declaration was like an oath, so if they really lost to him, Jude and
Cordelia would be dragged to hell and suffer all kinds of hardships.

But instead of being afraid, Jude and Cordelia clicked their tongues.

“As expected of Bandaizel. His vocabulary is lacking.”

“A musclehead.”

Fortunately, the voices of the two did not reach Bandaizel.

Bandaizel cursed again, while Jude looked back at Cordelia and said.

“Cordelia, you’re over level 50, right?”

“Eh? Yeah. I must have gone beyond that, I think?”

Her level was originally in the 40s, but because she leveled up around 10 times, her
level was now around the 50s.

“Let’s do this then.”

As Jude quickly explained the operation, Cordelia’s eyes widely opened, and she
brightly smiled as she listened to him.

“Wow, it’s really evil.”

“Do you like it then?”

“Yes, I love it.”

Jude had a faint smile when he saw Cordelia’s smiling face before he turned his gaze
back to Bandaizel and said.

“I ask of you.”

“Yes. Be careful too.”

Because they needed someone to buy them time.

Jude took a deep breath before he activated the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors and used
the Black Wind’s Advent.

Using the black wind, he became like a gale and rushed towards Bandaizel.

Swoooooooosh!

The wind wildly blew.

The cold wind surrounded his whole body as the pitch-black wind danced together
with the golden whirlwind.

Cordelia didn’t watch him for long. She turned around and ran towards Lena.

“Lena!”
“Cordelia! We have to help Jude!”

Having taken Kaplan and Luke to a safe place, Lena ran and shouted at Cordelia.

Cordelia immediately nodded.

“We need your help. So Lena, please listen to our plan.”

Boom!

At that very moment, a roar burst out.

It was the sound of Bandaizel smashing the ground with his giant warhammer.

Cordelia flinched for a moment, but she didn’t look back.

He was Jude.

His Cheonmujiche made him extremely good in moving his body.

So he was going to be fine.

No, he would be fine.

The important thing now was to properly spend every second of time that Jude
bought for them.

“Lena!”

Cordelia grabbed Lena’s wrist. Lena was about to run straight towards Jude, but she
stopped and looked at Cordelia, and then nodded.

‘Lena is not in her normal state now.’

It was Jude’s words.

‘She can’t use her angel powers.’

In the first episode of Legend of Heroes, Lena could already use the powers of an
angel.
In short, most of Lena’s fighting power came from her angel powers.

But even so, she was Lena.

She was a powerful grand wizard before she became an angel.

‘So she can do it.’

Lena had used different kinds of magic in Legend of Heroes.

Jude and Cordelia remembered all the kinds of magic she had used, so Jude informed
Cordelia of the magic they needed for this battle, and in turn, she told Lena about
that.

“Can you do it?”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Cordelia asked amidst the loud noises behind her.

Lena nodded right away.

“I can do it.”

“Then let’s get started!”

Boooom!

She could hear the ground collapsing from afar.

Cordelia turned around and was relieved. The black wind was still moving
beautifully with the golden whirlwind.

“Haa.”

Cordelia unconsciously sighed in relief before she immediately got serious. At the
same time that she used the Witch Transformation, she opened the witch’s spell
book with a chant.

“<Open the Book!>”

The witch’s spell book could be opened by a simple command.

It was usually small and hung from Cordelia’s waist, but at her invocation, the book
floated in the air and opened as it became several times larger than her upper body.

“<Find Spell!>”

At the touch of Cordelia’s hand, the pages of the spell book began to flip quickly.

What she wanted to read was the last page that she could open now.

New spells were opened when her level exceeded 50.

Cordelia quickly recited the spell. Through the witch’s spell book, she crammed the
new magic into her head.

And at that moment, Lena ran to the place where Cordelia had pointed earlier and
invoked a spell.

“<Create Golem!>”

It was a spell that created a golem.

Not many people knew about it since she gained the powers of a Holy Angel through
Ancestral Regression, but Lena’s specialty was originally the production of magical
objects, which included the creation of golems.

“Rise! Rise and fight, my child!”

Lena had already used up a lot of mana when she fought alone the monsters from
hell who flocked to the tower.

But she did not hesitate.

She poured her remaining mana to help in realizing Cordelia’s plan.

“Uuuugh-!”

The ground shot up.

It had looked like that.

The ground that had collapsed in the great collapse caused by Cordelia had now
taken shape and stood up.

It was a huge stone golem created from the countless debris.

“Ooooh!”

It was huge and colossal. Perhaps it was around 30 to 40 meters – no, it was a giant
that was almost 50 meters.

Moreover, it wasn’t just tall. Its whole body was made of rock, and it resembled a
knight wrapped in massive and heavy armor.

Thud!

The ground shook as it took a step.

Bandaizel reflexively turned after lifting his warhammer that he used when he tried
to smash Jude, while Jude smiled in admiration.

“Kuuuuraaaaa-!”

The golem roared and charged towards Bandaizel.

Its rush was slow perhaps because of its big build.

An enormous pressure restrained Bandaizel.

“Ridiculous!”

Bandaizel yelled as he crushed his fear, and then tightly gripped his warhammer and
rushed towards the golem. He moved in order to smash the head of that slow-
moving golem.

It was literally a monster showdown.

But Jude didn’t just watch it. He turned his gaze to confirm Cordelia’s location, and
Cordelia also turned to Jude as if their minds were connected.
‘Are you ready?’

‘I’m ready!’

Shortly after exchanging glances, Jude saw Bandaizel again.

It was a Named Demon after all.

The sight of him jumping high and wielding the warhammer to hit the golem’s head
was like a scene from myths and legends.

Baaaang!

A loud noise erupted when the golem’s head was smashed in half from Bandaizel’s
blow, and the golem stepped back.

Bandaizel continued pursuing the golem as he successively struck it.

“Hahahahahaha!”

A big golem couldn’t even be an opponent!

Every time Bandaizel swung his warhammer, a part of the golem broke down. At
first, the golem tried to counterattack, but it later became beaten down as it
continued to step back.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The loud blows continued in succession. The golem lost its head and both of its arms
and shoulders, but it continued to step backwards and finally returned to the place
where it was created.

“It’s over now.”

When Bandaizel spoke in a cool manner and drew his warhammer…

Lena had been manipulating the abnormally huge golem with all her strength, and
she suddenly stretched out her hand to Bandaizel.

“<Paralyze!>”
It was the <Paralyze> spell that was one of Cordelia’s specialties.

Their distance was quite far.

In addition, there was no direct contact.

Therefore, the duration of the spell was only a few seconds.

But that was enough.

When Lena stretched out her hand, Jude climbed on the golem.

He became a black gale, soaring into the sky before he fired it towards Bandaizel
with all his strength.

Black Dragon Cross Strike!

The huge black cross from his fist struck Bandaizel.

But it was not enough. Defeating Bandaizel with just that blow was impossible.

Jude knew that too. So the purpose of his attack was not to defeat Bandaizel. The
purpose was to push him away.

Shwaaaak-!

The black cross pushed Bandaizel forward.

The paralyzed Bandaizel was helplessly pushed and thrown into the place where the
golem had risen.

Bang!

A loud roar broke out after he was blown nearly tens of meters and slammed onto
the ground.

But Bandaizel’s body was unusually hard. Finishing him off with that kind of fall was
impossible.

In fact, his paralyzed state immediately wore off after he fell so he tried to raise
himself up.

Jude saw it. And he saw the others too.

“Cordelia.”

She was standing. She added the Spell’s Echo to the <Double Casting> she acquired
at level 50.

One spell invoked four magic spells at the same time.

“I’ve been waiting.”

When Cordelia’s canines shone as she brightly smiled, the monsters from hell ran
towards Bandaizel.

To be exact, they were the monsters of hell that Cordelia raised through necromancy.

“Gwaaa!”

“Kwooo!”

“Kaaack!”

Dozens of monsters ran and shrieked as they crushed Bandaizel’s body.

Cordelia’s necromancy was clumsy since charging was all that they could do, but in
the first place, they had died from being crushed, so only a few of them had intact
limbs.

But combat power was not important anyway.

“You scoundrels! No, you evil bastards!”

Bandaizel yelled as he tried to stand up.

The monsters from hell were just zombies in the end. It was possible to wipe them
out with just one swing of his iron whip.

Cordelia knew that too. So she didn’t take her time. She snapped her fingers as she
cast her new spell.

“<Corpse Explosion>.”

An explosion of corpses.

The monsters from hell that clung to Bandaizel caused a chain of explosions.

Dozens of monsters exploded in succession, and the explosive power was seriously
tremendous.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bandaizel’s screams were heard in between the explosions. Then Cordelia looked
back at Lena for the finishing blow.

“Lena.”

Lena responded to her call.

She didn’t just create a giant golem that couldn’t properly fight so that Cordelia could
excavate the monster corpses.

“Kwoooo-!”

The golem stepped forward with a final roar. It moved its body just above Bandaizel’s
head.

Despite the numerous explosions, Bandaizel saw it.

He instantly realized what Jude and Cordelia had planned.

So he couldn’t help but shout.

“Y-you demons!”

The noise of the corpse explosions buried Bandaizel’s voice. Lena chanted the final
spell.

“<Cancel Create Golem>.”

The golem dismantled.

Numerous debris that were used to form the body of the almost 50-meter giant
golem fell over Bandaizel’s head.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosions continued, and the rocks fell.

Bandaizel’s miserable screams rang in between that.

Bang!

The huge rock that formed the golem’s head made the last noise.

Bandaizel was buried under that small rocky mountain and could no longer be seen.

“Haa… haa…”

Having cast that immense magic, Lena sat in place and tried to catch her breath.

Despite the extreme cold, her whole body was wet as if she had been hit by rain.

And Cordelia jumped from her spot. She joyfully shouted as the white ring appeared
around her.

“We defeated him! Yahoo!”

She cheerfully shouted and hurried to the place where Lena sat down.

“We defeated him! We defeated him, Lena!”

She was refreshing, lively, and adorable.

So Lena unconsciously smiled, and Cordelia embraced Lena.

“I love you! Lena is the best!”

Lena was a bit embarrassed at her very friendly attitude, but she soon hugged
Cordelia back.

She didn’t know why this girl liked her so much, but thanks to her, they crossed the
big hurdle.

“Cordelia.”

“Jude!”

At Jude’s call, Cordelia suddenly jumped again before she hugged him too. He
thought that she was just giggling, but she abruptly gave a sharp sideways glance and
said.

“You’re really bad. You’re like a real demon. How could you be so evil?”

“Do you like it then?”

“Yes!”

Cordelia promptly replied and brightly smiled again.

And as Lena watched the scene, she faintly smiled.

It hadn’t been that long since they met, but just looking at the lovely couple made her
smile.

‘Yes, everything went well.’

Not only did they close the Hell Gate, but they also wiped out a hundred or so
demons that had already crossed over.

In addition, they defeated Bandaizel, a named demon.

So it was finally over.

It was enough.

The two saved the world.

No, it was something like that.

Endymion was completely destroyed, and half of Raptor Canyon had collapsed, so
Lena tried hard to look away from that and just watched Jude and Cordelia again.

Lena smiled again as she gazed at the fantasy – no, the obviously crazy couple.

***

And in the evening of that same day…

At the outer part of the ruins that was formerly called Endymion.

Lena’s thoughts became like a prophecy.

“Uh… so you were saying… that the problem was solved?”

“Yes, we solved the problem. Endymion is gone, so no more demons will appear on
Endymion!”

In front of that bright and lovely smile, the Fairy Queen couldn’t bear it any longer.

With an elegant smile, she held the back of her neck and collapsed.
The Wild Fairy Queen, Eonelle, raised her head.

The beautiful light shone down from the colorful glass ceiling.

The sunlight was scattered and diffused according to precise calculations, giving off a
sense of fantasy and mystery to the viewer.

“Wow…”

A childlike voice came out of Eonelle’s mouth.

Surprised by her voice, Eonelle blinked and looked at herself, and she realized that
her limbs were much shorter than usual.

She wasn’t a Fairy Queen.

She was now her younger self before she became the queen.

It was during the time when her mother was still alive.

Eonelle blinked her eyes and smiled.

She thought like a fairy, not a queen.

Whether she was in a dream or not now, she thought that she should enjoy this
moment.

“How exciting.”

Instead of an elegant smile, Eonelle had a cute and adorable smile before she looked
around again.

And she soon remembered where she was now.

This was the greenhouse of the High Elves located deep in Endymion.

Besides magic, the High Elves of the magic kingdom Magellan also attained
outstanding achievements in various fields of study.

They created a much more beautiful garden in the underground than the one they
had above the ground, and the fairies who were fond of pretty and lovely things
would visit their gardens with the permission of the High Elves.

“Pretty.”

Flowers of numerous colors filled her sight. There were so many varieties that if it
was a garden made by humans, it would have looked disordered because of the too
many varieties, but this was the garden of the High Elves.

Numerous flowers and trees were arranged together, but there was harmony in their
arrangement.

Far from looking disordered, the flowers and trees complemented each other,
forming a very beautiful sight.

“It smells good.”

Eonelle closed her eyes and enjoyed the garden’s fragrance. And then came into her
ears a voice that she had long missed.

“Eonelle.”

“Mommy!”

Eonelle reflexively shouted as she jumped from her position and turned around.

There stood her beautiful and caring mother, the previous Fairy Queen, with an
elegant smile.

“Mommy!”

Eonelle ran like a child and hugged her mother’s waist.

“You’re still a child.”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m a child. Hehehe.”

How long had it been since she acted cutely like this?

It had been a while since she spoke and acted like a normal fairy.

The former Fairy Queen had a bit of a lonely smile when she looked at her daughter’s
face.

Because in her eyes that could see beyond time and space, she saw the grown-up
Eonelle, her daughter who had become the Fairy Queen.

The previous Fairy Queen caressed Eonelle’s cheek with emotions that could only be
described as proud, regretful, and affectionate.

“Eonelle, do you like this place?”

“Yes, I like it. It’s very pretty.”

“Yes, when Magellan’s High Elves left Endymion… they especially asked us to take
good care of it.”

The High Elves had already left Endymion when Eonelle was born.

However, the previous Fairy Queen remembered the time when the High Elves lived
in Endymion.

“Mommy was a friend of the High Elves, right?”

“Yes, I was. The High Elves were friends of us wild fairies. They let us use the hot
springs and the garden to our heart’s content.”

“I like the hot springs too.”

“You’re truly my daughter.”

“Hehehe.”

The previous Fairy Queen stroked Eonelle’s head, and Eonelle enjoyed her touch.
This moment was just a dream, but as a fairy, she didn’t care about distinguishing
reality from the dream.

“Eonelle.”

“Yes, mommy.”

“This place… take good care of Endymion. Someday… on the day when the High Elves
return, we can be proud… we can say that us fairies have never neglected our
friendship with the High Elves.”

It was impossible to manage the entire Endymion.

Even the High Elves had given up taking care of it.

So just the places where the High Elves and fairies shared their friendship, which
were the hot springs and gardens, were what they could preserve well.

“Yes, mommy. I’ll definitely do it.”

“Fufufu, that’s a good girl.”

“I promise. Definitely. Pinky promise.”

“All right, it’s a pinky promise.”

“Yes, mommy.”

Eonelle prettily smiled, and the previous Fairy Queen hugged her tightly. They
shared each other’s warmth under the sunlight shining down from the colored glass
ceiling.

“Mommy.”

Eonelle opened her eyes.

And she realized that she was the Fairy Queen now.

But for a moment, she was engrossed in her dream. Instead of facing reality, she
chose to escape it for a while.
Tick tock. Tick tock.

She suddenly stood up and left her room, with the hem of her dress trailing on the
ground.

She faced the sight in front of her.

“Haha… hahaha…”

Didn’t they say that laughter sometimes comes out when one faces a very absurd
situation?

The sight in front of her did not change.

The scene in her dream only remained in her dreams now.

It was completely ruined.

The site where the great collapse took place could only be described as ruins.

The Fairy Queen struggled to maintain her elegant smile.

She soon felt faint again but turned around and firmly stood. But she couldn’t stop
her weak voice from coming out of her mouth.

“It wasn’t… a dream.”

It would have been nice if it was a dream.

If it was just a dream…

If it was just a lie…

“Mommy, I’m sorry.”

Eonelle couldn’t keep her promise.

I’m a bad child.

I’m sorry.
When tears streaked down the Fairy Queen’s cheeks, there were some who were
watching the scene secretly.

“Ju-Jude. What should we do? She’s crying.”

“…Then should she not cry?”

Endymion was completely destroyed.

When Jude spoke with narrowed eyes, Cordelia pouted her lips, timidly pushing her
index fingers against each other.

Jude sighed again when he saw her with that appearance and then said.

“Haa… in addition to that… are you a real demon? How could you say that?”

“W-what…”

“Endymion is gone, so no more demons will appear on Endymion… Such words made
Satan lose his job today.”

It was such a diabolical idea.

No, apart from having such an idea, she put it out of her mouth and said it. And with
such a lovely face and expression.

“Uhhh…”

Jude’s remarks made Cordelia shrink even further, but she had something to say in
her defense.

“Y-you taught me.”

“What?”

“I mean, that… when we broke the bridge…”

Cordelia was talking about the time when they broke the bridge to defeat Lacto.

Jude was the one who originally said that statement, not Cordelia.
However, Jude clicked his tongue at Cordelia’s timid rebuttal and said with narrowed
eyes.

“Is this the same as that? And isn’t there something like a time and place?”

He was correct.

Cordelia shrank even more, and Jude pulled the cheeks of such Cordelia with both of
his hands.

“Ugueu…”

Cordelia would normally be angry and resist it, but this time, she didn’t.

She just accepted her punishment with a bleak face.

But that did not last long.

“I know you’re watching. Come forward.”

At the Fairy Queen’s call, Jude and Cordelia flinched at the same time before they
cleared their throats and stepped forward.

“Jude, Cordelia.”

“Your Majesty.”

Jude answered in a small voice, and Cordelia bowed her head after looking at the
Fairy Queen’s eyes.

The Fairy Queen graciously smiled at their appearance.

“It’s all right. You don’t have to make such a dejected face. To defend Endymion… no,
to save… no, it was for the world anyway.”

Though she was a bit unsettled in the middle, the Fairy Queen still kept her elegant
smile until the end of her words.

“To close the Hell Gate, right?”

“Yes, if the Hell Gate had just grown like that… there would have been a terrible
tragedy. Cordelia’s actions were rather excessive, but there was no other way back
then. Because of Cordelia’s decision on behalf of everyone, she was able to save my
life too. If you punish her, let me receive it instead.”

When Jude didn’t just stop defending her and even went as far as to say that he
would be willing to receive the punishment instead, Cordelia was startled and
blinked, and the Fairy Queen shook her head.

“No, it’s not fair to punish you. As you said, Cordelia saved everyone. And… I think
I’m at fault too for neglecting the management of other areas besides the original
areas we maintained. Because I didn’t even know of the fact that the Hell Gate
opened here.”

The Fairy Queen was also well aware of the Hell Gate’s dangers.

If the Hell Gate had grown just as Jude had said, the fairies would be the first to be at
risk.

“So Cordelia, straighten your chest. Although Endymion is gone… isn’t it clear that
you saved the world and us fairies?”

“Your Majesty…”

Cordelia was deeply moved and began to tear up.

The Fairy Queen laughed a bit at Cordelia’s response before she continued.

“I know of the name Lena. Holy Angel Lena, one of the five heroes who ended the
tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom. But looking at her now, it seems she got the Demon
Syndrome.”

“Yes, that’s right. We have to treat Lena.”

Cordelia quickly spoke without thinking, and the Fairy Queen also nodded her head.

“Yes, you are right. She is also our benefactor, so she deserves to be helped.”

“Your Majesty…”
Cordelia’s face was flushed with deep emotions again.

Jude also expressed his admiration of her in his thoughts.

‘She’s a real queen.’

It was unbelievable that the benevolent woman in front of him was of the same race
as the fairies he knew.

In any case, the truly gracious Fairy Queen turned around and said.

“Demon Syndrome is a disease caused by the accumulation of hell’s aura in the body.
So if you wash away hell’s aura with holy aura, you’ll be able to cure the Demon
Syndrome.”

What she said was the truth.

In fact, the quickest way to treat the Demon Syndrome in the game was to go a large
temple, give as much donation money as possible, and listen to choir’s hymns while
bathing in holy water.

“There is a sacred place not far away. It’s the place where the golden dragon, the king
of the wild gods, interacted with Solari, the ancient sun god.”

“Oh…”

Jude unknowingly expressed his surprise.

Because according to the Fairy Queen’s story, it was a land where two gods
temporarily stayed together.

It was literally a sacred place among the sacred places.

“I’ll tell you the location, so take Lena there to cure the Demon Syndrome.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Wow! Her Majesty is the best! Thank you very much!”

Cordelia was ready to embrace the Fairy Queen at that moment, but their absolute
difference in heights prevented her from doing so.

The Fairy Queen laughed a little at the appearance of Cordelia hesitating when she
tried to hug her, and she soon looked back at Jude and said.

“Jude.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’m saying this out of concern…”

The Fairy Queen’s words trailed off at the end before she suddenly cleared her throat
and said while looking elsewhere.

“You can’t destroy that place.”

The sacred place.

Especially the sacred place.

“Of course. I’ll try to prevent the worst situation from happening.”

Cordelia’s face turned red at the moment Jude spoke with a determined look as if he
was swearing an oath.

After she struggled in that state, she spoke to the Fairy Queen in an urgent tone.

“I-I promise! I’ll just go quietly! Really!”

“Yes, I believe in you. Truly. Really. Please. Please…”

Her elegant smile remained the same, but at the end, there was some desperation in
the Fairy Queen’s words.

It wasn’t really just a sacred place.

Because they had to protect that sacred place.

Especially that sacred place!

“I-I promise. Really…”

The dispirited Cordelia shrank her shoulders as she made a promise, Jude stepped
forward again.

“Your Majesty, I will take responsibility and protect the sacred place from Cordelia.”

“Yes, I believe in you.”

“I’m not a demon…”

Cordelia timidly murmured shortly after the Fairy Queen’s worried face and Jude’s
determined oath.

The Fairy Queen turned to Cordelia again and spoke.

“I’m sorry. I’ve made you dispirited. As I said earlier, it’s true that you saved us. You
can be proud of that. You’re a warrior who made a decision that couldn’t be easily
made.”

“Sob, sob, Your Majesty.”

She (Fairy Queen) did a grievous harm to someone and then pretended to help her
(Cordelia).

The Fairy Queen smiled a little mischievously at Cordelia whose thoughts were
clearly revealed in her face, and Jude also smiled.

***

“Ah, thank goodness. There’s a way to cure Lena.”

“You’re right.”

The fairies’ residence, which differed in time and space from ordinary places, wasn’t
a very good place to take a proper rest.

For this reason, Lena and Kaplan were staying in a bathhouse in the outskirts of
Endymion, which did not collapse.
“Ufufu, I’m excited. If we go to the sacred place, Lena will be cured from the Demon
Syndrome, then Lena will regain the power of an angel, and we’ll be able to obtain
Lena’s blood. Isn’t that right?”

On the road to the bathhouse, Cordelia energetically walked and laughed, and she
even began to sing.

“Le~na’s blood~ doo doo doo doo doo~

Sacred place~ doo doo doo doo doo~

Angel mode~ doo doo doo doo doo~

Lena’s blood~.”

Her singing and gestures were seriously cute and adorable, and Jude tried to
distance himself from her. And Cordelia having caught such Jude, glared at him.

“Why?”

“No, are you asking because you don’t know? Look at yourself.”

A beautiful girl was smiling brightly while singing about blood.

“Umm…”

“Isn’t it weird?”

“Hmph. It’s not strange though?”

However, she seemed to be embarrassed as her face turned red.

Jude smiled and continued his words.

“Moving on, it’s good. We saved Lena, and if we go on like this, we’ll obtain the
angel’s blood.”

“Yes, I’ll be able to use Ancestral Regression… then it’ll be possible to use this too!”

Cordelia spoke out loud as she took out the Heavenly Judgment, which she had worn
on her back throughout their entire trip.

It was one of the hundred swords that the Archangel Auriel himself forged, and a
powerful magic item that could use ‘Day of Judgment.’

It was currently sealed, so it was more of a club than a sword, but once she gained
the power of an angel, she would be able to remove the seal.

“It’s a happy event, a happy occasion.”

“Yes, I especially like that we saved Lena.”

She had seen her die a lonely death with a painful expression in the cinematic movie,
and that scene still remained in her eyes.

But they had saved Lena.

They saved the hero from Legend of Heroes’ first episode, who should have died.

‘It means a lot.’

Among the five main characters in the first episode of the Legend of Heroes, the
Ghostblade Kamael was the only one who was active after the second episode.

So if that didn’t happen.

If all the five main characters survived and joined the fight to stop Armageddon…

‘We have to make it happen.’

It wasn’t just Lena.

They somehow saved Iron Man Landius even though the cause of his death was still
unknown.

‘The other two too.’

Necromancer Velkian and Druid Fran too.

And furthermore, the heroes of the Legend of Heroes 2 too.

“What are you thinking about?”

“A good idea.”

“You’re saying something strange again.”

Jude grinned at Cordelia’s rebuke, and returned the topic to the sacred place.

“Anyway, I hope that there’s no dragon vein in the place we’re going this time.”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Jude shamelessly replied and pretended to be ignorant, while Cordelia pouted but it
was only for a moment.

“Let’s hurry. I want to give Lena the good news.”

“Okay.”

The two who were walking together began to speed up their pace.

And under the feet of those two.

Deep underground.

The runaway of the dragon veins were continuously causing abnormalities.

Terms used in this chapter:

Satan lost his job today – Korean meme about human acts that are so evil and
vicious that it makes Satan lose his job. This meme has a lot of variations and is not
limited to ‘Satan lost his job today.’
“Lena! We’re back! Lena!”

Cordelia entered the cave with a loud shout.

It was the bathhouse where Jude and Cordelia met the wild fairies for the first time.

“Cordelia.”

Inside their temporary shelter, Lena had laid down a mat inside an empty bathtub
and was modestly sitting on it. When she responded to Cordelia’s call, Cordelia
brightly smiled and ran to her.

“Lena, Lena. Good news! We found a way to cure Demon Syndrome!”

Cordelia quickly clung to Lena’s side and conveyed their conversation with the Fairy
Queen.

“So we’re thinking of going to the sacred place. Isn’t that good news?”

“It is. Thank you very much for helping me in various ways.”

“Eh, you’re welcome. Hehehe.”

The happy Cordelia’s cheeks blushed, and Lena unconsciously laughed.

In fact, Lena was familiar with this kind of affection.

Because almost all those who knew of Lena’s nickname, Holy Angel, were very
friendly to her.

But she felt that Cordelia was a little special.

Not just because she liked Lena, but because she was concerned with Lena herself.
“Cordelia is so cute.”

“Yes? Eh… hehehe.”

When she kindly said that, Cordelia’s faced blushed even more as she let out a silly
laugh.

But Cordelia looked so cute that Lena laughed again.

“What a heartwarming sight, very nice…”

It was when the pleased Jude was watching that scene from the entrance…

“Jude, are we heading to the sacred place now?”

The Dwarf Kaplan, whom the Fairy Queen recognized for his gentle and moist eyes,
asked with sparkling eyes.

The ruins of Solari and the sacred place of a wild god.

For him, an archeologist, it was like getting many valuable things in only one
package.

“Yes, we will.”

“Oooh…”

Though not as adorable as Cordelia’s, Kaplan’s ecstatic face and flushed cheeks was
also enough to make him smile.

‘Come to think of it… ’

Kaplan had become strangely brighter than before, even after going through this
incident.

‘Perhaps he found some confidence?’

Jude and Cordelia had said to Kaplan many times that they were glad to be with him.

But it wasn’t just that.

Kaplan’s cheerfulness had another slightly different reason.

‘I was nothing.’

Kaplan was called a god of disaster because an accident happened wherever he

went.

But in retrospect, it was merely accidents such as falling rocks, activating hidden
traps, or encountering monsters.

‘It’s trivial in front of these two, it’s trivial.’

It was trivial in front of these two who didn’t stop at destroying a city but even
collapsed half of Raptor Canyon.

Moreover, he found out that this wasn’t the first time when he listened to their story.

When they went to a mountain, they collapsed it.

When they went to the fields, they burnt the fields.

When they went to an underground city, they were truly destruction incarnate as
they annihilated it.

In front of these two, Kaplan himself was merely a drop in the ocean, so he felt that
his worries so far were just something trivial.

Of course, the biggest reason for him finding his confidence was because Jude and
Cordelia repeatedly reassured him, but it couldn’t be denied that he was also
humbled by the great destruction caused by the two.

‘Let’s become stronger too.’

Just like Jude and Miss Cordelia.

So that whatever difficulties that may come, he can break them down and move on.

With a renewed determination, Kaplan gazed at Cordelia who was warmly acting like
a spoilt child in front of Lena, while Jude narrowed his eyes.
‘Somehow… it somehow feels different from what I intended.’

But that didn’t matter.

The important thing was that Kaplan found his confidence.

“Jude, Jude. When are we leaving?”

He heard Cordelia calling him just then, so Jude turned to her and answered.

“Well… there’s no reason to drag it out. Miss Lena, if you don’t mind, I’d like to start
right away… is that okay with you?”

Jude asked somewhat carefully.

Because Lena’s condition had worsened after the battle.

Demon Syndrome would worsen whenever mana was used, and Lena had already
used a lot of mana before joining Jude and Cordelia’s group.

If she used a little more mana now, it would really lead to an irreversible situation.

Cordelia had a worried look upon hearing Jude’s question, but Lena held Cordelia’s
hand and said as if she was okay.

“I don’t have a big problem in terms of physical strength. Let’s start right away.”

“Okay, then let’s hurry.”

Lunchtime was already approaching, so even if they depart now, they had to hurry to
get there before sunset.

About an hour passed by.

As they were heading northeast towards the sacred place, Cordelia quickly
approached Jude who was leading the group.

“Jude, Jude.”

“Yes?”
He was glad to see the approaching Cordelia, who had been by Lena’s side for the
past hour, but Jude became curious why she came to him.

He asked as he tilted his head, and Cordelia said while keeping her voice down.

“We’re going to the sacred place now.”

“And?”

“According to the Queen, the sacred place is where the golden dragon, the king of the
wild gods, and Solari, the sun god, interacted in the past, right?”

“Yes. So it’s a sacred place for both the wild gods and the Solari denomination.”

“Yes, yes, so there must be a dragon vein in the sacred place, right?”

Jude was about to nod his head immediately at Cordelia’s words but stopped. His
eyes narrowed and he then said in a low voice.

“What… Is this a murder notice? No, is this a terror warning? What terms are you
demanding?”

“Hey, it’s not like that.”

“No, it is. And put your hand on your heart and ask your conscience. Think if your
words were excessive or not.”

“Umm… it’s excessive. That’s right, Jude said it was wrong.”

Cordelia put her hand on her chest and calmly said as if she really heard the voice of
her conscience.

And at that sight, Jude unwittingly sighed.

“Huu… your acting skills have improved.”

“It’s because of someone evil. And it wasn’t acting just now. It really was the voice of
my conscience.”

“If you say so… Anyway, why did you bring up the dragon vein?”
“Ah, no… it’s just in case.”

“Just in case?”

“Yes, just.”

“Hey, I’m saying this just in case then. Not the sacred place. Seriously, not the sacred
place. The Queen will weep bitterly. Do you understand? She’ll weep and cry.”

“I know, I know. I understand. I don’t want to make the Queen cry too, so don’t
worry.”

Cordelia said before going back to Lena while humming, and Jude had a somewhat
ominous feeling as he continued to move forward.

***

By late afternoon, the group was able to reach the sacred place.

Located in the northeast of the Raptor Canyon, the sacred place was a basin similar
to Gentle Snow Breeze’s land, and it was a place that stood out from afar.

“Only that place has no snow.”

It was a green land in the middle of a pure white snowfield.

Furthermore, it wasn’t just without snow.

As they approached the place, they could feel a warm wind blowing from inside the
basin. It was as if only that place was spring.

“I can feel Solari’s divine power.”

It was as Lena said.

They could feel Solari’s divine power all around them, just like when they entered
Leisegang’s sealing place.

Inside the small basin that was about a hundred meters in diameter.
A place where it was spring despite being winter all around it.

“Ooh… it’s clearly Solari’s ruins. The architectural style is old too.”

Kaplan said in an excited tone as he closely approached the pillars that served as
gates at the entrance of the basin.

But Jude and Cordelia focused more on another place.

“Tomb Guardians.”

Beyond the pillars sat four Tomb Guardians. They seemed to have no intention of
doing anything that was particularly harmful, but their eyes that were looking at the
group were those of a watcher.

So instead of going in further, Jude stopped in his place and shouted loudly.

“We humbly ask Blue Whiskers, guardian of the sacred place, to allow us entry! The
Wild Fairy Queen sent us!”

At the same time, Cordelia raised the Fairy’s Bonds that contained the Earth
Protection.

“The Fairy Queen sent us!”

When Cordelia shouted and the Fairy’s Bonds shined, the direction of the wind
changed in an instant.

The wind that blew from the inside stopped as a loud voice came.

“Blue Whiskers greets the visitors!”

A deep and loud voice was heard from the large temple located inside the basin, and
the owner of the voice was soon revealed.

As is name implied, it was a dragon with long blue whiskers.

“I am Blue Whiskers, guardian of the sacred place! State your names!”

It had blue scales and splendid deer antlers.

Blue Whiskers looked more of an oriental dragon rather than a western dragon, and
as it came forward with a dignified figure, Cordelia quickly bit her lips and held back
her laughter.

‘C-cute.’

She couldn’t help it.

Blue Whiskers was huge and around 7 meters longs, but because its shape was really
like that of an oriental dragon, its limbs were too short and undersized when
compared to its whole body.

But as he stood on his small hind legs and toddled, Cordelia thought that the
harmony between its dignified upper body and lower body was poor.

Cordelia tried hard to hold back her laughter by biting her lips, and Jude stepped
first like always and said.

“We are Jude Bayer and Cordelia Chase, who are under the protection of the Fairy
Queen.”

“I-I am Indiana Kaplan.”

“I’m Lena Ainsburg.”

After Lena introduced herself, Blue Whiskers looked at them with narrowed eyes
and then nodded.

“You’re all good people. Though the woman at the back has a strong demon’s aura…
Oh, did you come here to wash away that aura?”

Blue Whiskers wasn’t a guardian of the sacred place for no reason.

At his accurate analysis, Jude immediately nodded.

“Yes, you’re right. The Fairy Queen informed us that she could wash away the
demonic energy in the sacred place.”

“Hmm, indeed.”
With his tiny hand, Blue Whiskers stroked his stomach instead of his chin, raised its
head and said.

“Come in! Those sent by the Fairy Queen don’t have to go through the test!”

Blue Whiskers cried out loud and began to return to the temple, while Jude and
Cordelia quickly turned around to Kaplan and Lena.

“Let’s go.”

“I’m glad that the conversation went well.”

“Yeah.”

Although Lena looked somewhat puzzled as she was surprised by Blue Whiskers’
outspokenness, she soon smiled and stepped forward.

And after a few minutes…

Having entered the temple, Jude and Cordelia let out awes of admiration.

‘It really was a place where they interacted.’

Unlike the outside which followed the typical style of the Solari temple, the inside
followed the style of the wild gods.

It was like a western church on the outside but was like a greenhouse on the inside.

With the pillars and such everywhere, it was undoubtedly an artificial structure, but
because it blended with the surroundings, it all felt natural.

In particular, there was a pond about 10 meters in diameter at the center of the
temple. The pond was surrounded by stone pillars and had a faint yet beautiful light
rising from it, giving the pond a mysterious feeling.

“It’s a sacred pond. It’s a place where you can wash off anything.”

Blue Whiskers spoke in a proud tone and continued to look at Lena.

“I can tell from your eyes. Though you have been stained by the demon’s power, you
are a truly good person. You are allowed to enter the pond, so wash away the
darkness and regain the light.”

The voice of Blue Whiskers echoed loudly in the temple, as if it was a voice from
heaven.

After Lena bowed to Blue Whiskers who was stroking its belly while still looking
holy, she glanced at Jude and Cordelia before approaching the pond, and the two
then stared at Lena’s back.

“Hey, Blue Whiskers.”

“Say it.”

“How long will it take Lena to wash away the demon’s aura?”

“I don’t know exactly how long. But it will take some time if she was tainted by the
demonic aura for a long time.”

Satisfied by the sincere but a little vague answer, Cordelia looked at Lena again.

As Lena entered the pond with her clothes still on, the surrounding stone pillars
glowed green.

“It’s the light of purification. Don’t be afraid and move on to the center of the pond.”

Lena did not doubt Blue Whiskers’ words. She moved further and reached the center
of the pond, and a green light covered her and the whole pond.

“Is this… okay?”

Worried about Lena who was no longer visible due to the light, Cordelia asked, and
Blue Whiskers nodded.

“It’s all right. All you have to do is wait.”

“Thanks for everything.”

“I am the guardian of the sacred place, so it is natural to help those in need.”

Blue Whiskers replied with a smile and later walked to a corner of the temple which
seemed to be its dwelling place, and Cordelia tried hard to only see Blue Whiskers’
upper body.

Several seconds passed.

“Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

She turned around at his call, and Jude pointed outside the temple with his chin.

“I’ll go out for a while and look around.”

There was nothing to do here except to rest and wait anyway.

So it was better for him to monitor the surrounding terrain like what he usually did.

“Uh… Then I’ll go with you.”

“Okay, if you say so. It’s fine if we leave Kaplan alone, right?”

“Yes, he doesn’t look bored. Let’s call him at dinnertime when we get back.”

Because Kaplan’s focus was on the walls as he eagerly observed this and that.

“Mr. Blue Whiskers! We’ll go out for a while and get some fresh air!”

“Don’t go too far! My protection cannot reach beyond the sacred place!”

Blue Whiskers replied to Cordelia’s shout, and Jude unconsciously had a bitter smile.

“What is it?”

“No, I just thought that you quickly became close.”

“Because he’s like a kind uncle.”

Cordelia replied with a smile, and the two left the temple and went up the basin.
Because they wanted to climb to a high place and survey the surrounding area.
And a few minutes later.

Having arrived at the highest place, Jude and Cordelia both frowned.

“Devil’s Eye.”

There were people coming from far away and heading towards the sacred place.

Even if their numbers were small, it was around fifty or so.

There were many knights who wore heavy armor, and they looked like they came
from the Argon Empire, and not the wild lands.

“The one in the lead… is Billvine, right?”

“I think you’re right.”

He was a huge man whose whole body was covered in a black armor.

Among the mid-ranking demonic humans of the Devil’s Eye, he was someone who
belonged to the particularly strong group.

Unbeknownst to Jude and Cordelia, the Devil’s Eye had actually felt a great sense of
crisis when they lost two mid-ranking demonic humans due to the actions of the
two.

At this rate, their plan to swallow up the wild lands would be disrupted.

So in order to contaminate the eastern dragon veins, a stronger group was needed.

Thus, they decided to deploy Black Knight Billvine and his men, elites of their group
in the Argon Empire, which was the home of the Devil’s Eyes.

“It’s not a simple formation. There’s some monsters mixed in their group.”

In terms of number alone, they were less than in the previous fights, but the quality
of each one of them was different.

Just fifty of them would be able to fight against 500 royal soldiers of the Salen
Kingdom.
In addition, they also had prepared a method to deal with the wild god.

What should we do then?

He though on how they would be able to protect the purity of the sacred place from
those who were trying to contaminate the dragon vein.

‘If I consider on a simple way to defeat them… ’

They could bait the enemies towards the middle of the basin and blow up the dragon
vein to annihilate them.

After he thought about it, Jude looked up in surprise and said to Cordelia, who look
quite distressed.

“No, this demon. Anything but that.”

“Eh? What are you talking about?”

“No, you can’t.”

“What exactly are you talking about?”

“That, that method.”

Having no idea what he was talking about, Cordelia somehow felt it unfair and
frowned, and Jude turned to Billvine and his men.

He counted the remaining time until they reach the sacred place.

At the same time, he thought about Lena and the sacred place’s situation.

And a few seconds later.

Something came into Jude’s mind.

Black Knight Billvine.

One of the strongest mid-ranking demonic humans of the Devil’s Eye.

He raised his head and gazed at the basin.

“The sacred place.”

He came from a fallen family of knights in the Argon Empire, so he did not know
much about the barbarian lands.

But even he could not help but feel that there was something special in the sacred
place ahead of him.

‘According to the information, it’s guarded by one wild god and four low-ranking
angels.’

In fact, the western part of the barbarian lands was already in the hands of the Angry
Bull tribe and the Devil’s Eye.

Because of that, the Devil’s Eye was able to acquire all kinds of information about the
barbarian lands, including the eastern wild gods’ information, location of the dragon
veins, the sacred place, and so on.

‘Blue Whiskers is a wild god in the form of a dragon.’

Although he was a dragon, he was still a young one, so he wasn’t that strong.
Nevertheless, he was both a dragon and a wild god.

He was not an easy opponent to fight against.

‘Moreover, our goal is to capture him alive.’

Billvine’s mission was to pollute the dragon vein, subdue the wild god, and the
corrupt Blue Whiskers with the power of the great overlord Belial.

‘After luring him, we’ll trigger the spell. If we defeat the Tomb Guardians while the
wild god is tied up, the sacred place will become an ownerless land.’

After confirming their strategy in his mind, Billvine stopped at about a hundred
meters from the entrance of the sacred place and ordered his subordinates to go into
their battle positions.

‘He’ll have no choice but to come out.’

The dragon veins spread out like a network of threads throughout the barbarian
lands, like that of a human body’s veins.

The sacred place was where such dragon veins gather and circulate, which was like
the heart of a human.

In order to properly contaminate the dragon vein, the dragon vein’s heart must be
captured, so that the rest of the dragon veins would easily be contaminated.

“Begin.”

“As you wish, Sir.”

When Billvine ordered in a low voice, the men in black armor obeyed their master
and began to stab spears with the curse of the overlord Belial into the ground.

“May the power of Belial fill this land…”

After the cursed spears were stabbed on the ground, Billvine chanted the spell to
activate the curse, and the snow around the area began to melt. A purple aura surged
along the spears, and at the same time, a deadly green curse permeated the ground.

Billvine looked up and watched the entrance of the sacred place.

What he had hoped for was coming true.

***
Ten minutes before Billvine stabbed the cursed spears on the ground.

Jude and Cordelia looked at each other and quickly exchanged words.

“Billvine isn’t just a musclehead character.”

“He has a brain, right? He also has a cautious personality.”

“Yes, do you remember what Violent Avalanche said?”

“The method to subdue the wild gods?”

“Yes, that method. Violent Avalanche said that its movements were restricted
because of the evil energy and curses that they had prepared. So there’s a high
possibility that they’ve prepared something similar this time.”

“So we block Blue Whiskers and prevent the Tomb Guardians from leaving?”

“That’s right. We have to crush Billvine’s plan from the ground up.”

“How? With a F*ck Bang?”

“No, not that. Though it’s true that if we blow up the sacred place, they wouldn’t be
able to occupy it.”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I’m not a bomber. I’m not that kind of person.”

“…Then, apart from that.”

“Apart from that?”

“What do you think Billvine is missing right now?”

“Can’t you just tell instead of asking me? It’s bothersome to think.”

“…Madam, your servant doesn’t want Madame to give up yet.”

“Okay, okay. You want me to say it, right? What Billvine is missing.”

Billvine had no information about Jude and Cordelia.

Moreover, Jude and Cordelia had unintentionally annihilated the demonic humans of
the Devil’s Eye and their subordinates in Violent Avalanche’s mountain and in Gentle
Snow Breeze’s fields.

So it was highly likely that they had not yet been informed of Jude and Cordelia, and
even if they were informed, they wouldn’t easily think that the two would appear in
the sacred place.

“Ooh… as expected. My child could do it. Let’s keep working hard in the future.”

“That’s enough work for my brain. Moving on, the root of his plan is Blue Whiskers,
right?”

“Yes, Billvine’s plan is likely to start with ‘restraining Blue Whiskers.’ In other words,
if he couldn’t restrain Blue Whiskers, we’ll be able to get rid of his plan from the very
roots.”

“What about their method?”

“That.”

Jude turned around and pointed to the sacred place’s temple, and Cordelia narrowed
her eyes.

“Uh… you said we shouldn’t blow it up.”

“No, not the dragon vein. I’m talking about the temple of the wild gods and the
sacred place of Solari.”

At Jude’s words, Cordelia blinked her eyes several time before she understood it.

Jude and Cordelia knew little about the wild gods, but not for Solari.

“Can you do it.”

“I can do it.”

“Will it be on time?”

“That’s why I need to hurry from now on.”

Cordelia nodded at his words before she ran towards the entrance and shouted.

“I’ll buy time!”

“Don’t overdo it! Okay?!”

“You too!”

She roughly shouted and then ran without looking back. On the other hand, Jude
headed to the temple.

And around ten minutes later…

Blue Whiskers reacted to the cursed spears that Billvine stabbed on the ground.

***

“Who dares pollute the dragon vein!”

Blue Whiskers burst with anger as he ran out of the temple.

He was about to rush towards Billvine and his men at that moment.

No, he would have done that if he was alone.

He had been protecting the sacred place for nearly a hundred years, but this was the
first time it had been attacked.

But Cordelia was there.

“Wait! Stop! You can’t go!”

Cordelia boosted her power with the witch’s power and shouted, and Blue Whiskers
stopped on his feet but still remained angry.

“What do you mean by stop! Can’t you see what they’re doing!”

They stabbed cursed spears on the ground and spread Belial’s curse.

Cordelia had already seen similar things in the land of Gentle Snow Breeze, so she
understood what was happening, but she still didn’t back down.

“I know! But it’s a trap! It’s obviously a trap!”

In order for them to properly contaminate the dragon veins, they had to go to its
heart. In other words, what they were doing was a pointless task, and there was only
one reason for doing such a pointless task.

‘Fishing!’

It was a bait to lure Blue Whiskers.

“Jude is inside, okay? He’s drawing a magic circle inside, okay? We have to wait until
Jude is done!”

Jude might be ignorant about the dragon veins, but he knew a lot about Solari.

He was drawing a magic circle to use the power of the sacred place, so they shouldn’t
behave rashly until he completes the magic circle.

“But they’re polluting the land!”

“We can cleanse it later!”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Having been alone in the sacred place, his eloquence was weak, so Blue Whiskers
slowed down for a moment, but only for a brief moment.

“Eiii! I won’t stop! I am the guardian of the sacred place! I’m going to beat those guys
up! Tomb Guardians! Get up and face the enemy!”

“Kwoooh!”

The four Tomb Guardians at the entrance responded to Blue Whiskers’ command
and spread their wings at the same time.

Cordelia stamped her foot with a look of urgency, and soon made a decision.

“<Paralyze!>”
“What?!”

<Paralyze> magic was Cordelia’s second specialty.

However, Blue Whiskers was a wild god. Cordelia’s <Paralyze> spell made paralyzed
him, but it didn’t last long.

On Blue Whiskers’ neck hung Solari’s necklace, which gave off a blue glow and
canceled Cordelia’s magic.

‘Solari’s Curse-lifting Necklace!’

It was a necklace that protected the wearer from harmful spells once a day. Although
there was a limit on the number of times it could be used per day, its power of
protection was so strong that it was a must-have item.

In any case, the necklace’s power repelled Cordelia’s magic, and Blue Whiskers
angrily shouted.

“I thought you were a good child, but you weren’t!”

“No! Just listen to me! Okay?!”

“Get out of my way!”

Blue Whiskers yelled in a threatening manner as if he was going to attack if she

interfered further, and he then kicked the ground and rose to the air. He rode on the
wind and clouds and together with the Tomb Guardians, he flew towards Billvine.

“Ah, seriously!”

Cordelia held back her cursing and then looked at the temple where Jude was as she
clenched her teeth.

She was worried about Blue Whiskers, but she had to stay near the temple in case
something else happened.

‘Please!’

Since that’s what happened, show me the majesty of a wild god!

It was the moment when Cordelia wished for that.

“Belial’s Cursed Hammer! Strike the enemy! Cursed Net! Capture the enemy!”

When Billvine loudly shouted, five of his men cut their own throats, offering
themselves as human sacrifices.

The vivid red blood spilled into air, and at that moment, a dark red power rose from
the cursed spears and headed towards Blue Whiskers.

The Devil’s Eye had invested a long time to develop this sealing curse for the wild
gods in order to carry out their plans.

“Kuaaaah!”

Blue Whiskers grew stronger as time passed, but he lacked combat experience so he
couldn’t properly fight against the curses that came in succession.

He was hit by the Cursed Hammer, crashed to the ground, and the Cursed Net tied
not only his flesh but also his soul.

Solari’s necklace, which already used up today’s protection, was useless.

No, it didn’t change even if it hadn’t been used up.

To begin with, what the Devil’s Eye prepared was something that activated ten
curses in a row.

“Strengthen the curse! Seal the wild god completely!”

When Billvine shouted, five of his men stepped forward again and cut their own
throats.

They were brainwashed offerings that had been prepared as human sacrifices in the
first place.

“Kuaaaah!”

Blue Whiskers painfully screamed as he desperately fought against the curse. The
power of the curse nearly doubled the moment the five humans were sacrificed
again.

“The wild god is sealed. Let’s strike the sacred place now!”

Billvine drew his sword and shouted, and his subordinates raised the flag and blew
on the horns.

They were like an order of knights that belonged to the Devil’s Eye, and they passed
by Blue Whiskers and began charging towards the sacred place.

“Kuaaaah!”

The Tomb Guardians spread out their wings and rushed towards Billvine’s men.

However, they had already prepared countermeasures against the Tomb Guardians.
By forming groups of ten people each against the four Tomb Guardians, they created
a situation that was similar to a hunter and a prey on a hunt.

“I’ll cut their breaths one by one.”

As he grasped his pitch-black sword, Billvine hurried towards the Tomb Guardian
instead of immediately heading to the sacred place.

It was a simple yet reliable hunting method in which Billvine himself killed the Tomb
Guardians while ten of his men tied its feet.

“Kaaa…”

The first Tomb Guardian lost its life helplessly.

As she watched it, Cordelia clenched her teeth and thought.

The situation had already gone badly. So she had to step out and protect the Tomb
Guardians. Working with them was the best in order to stop Billvine and his men.

“I’ll go.”

Cordelia took a deep breath and then kicked the ground.

But at that moment, a loud noise broke out from behind her back.
Kwaaaaa-!

The noise came from the temple.

There was an open space at the top of Solari’s temple which let the sunshine in, and
from there, a bright golden pillar of light shot up.

Cordelia quickly turned around and saw the pillar of light before she cheered.
Because she realized what Jude’s plan was.

“Long live the sun!”

Cordelia raised her hands up high to worship the sun.

Her actions had no meaning, but the pillar of light responded as if it reacted to her.

Craack-!

The pillar of light split into hundreds to thousands of pieces with a sound similar to
breaking glass. The pieces remained in the air as if the time froze, and the world was
soon covered with an intense light.

<Solari’s Land>.

It was a magic technique which temporarily created a sacred place for Solari by
spreading Solari’s power around the surrounding area.

And its effect was truly amazing.

“Oooooh!”

The size of the Tomb Guardians grew. Their eyes glowed gold, and the sacred power
that surrounded their entire bodies became twice as strong.

The effect was not only that. Belial’s curse that was suppressing Blue Whiskers was
also broken at that moment.

Billvine and his subordinates’ power also weakened.

“As expected of my Jude!”

The magic technique used up the power of Solari that was stored in the sacred place,
but what mattered now was to repel Billvine and his men.

Cordelia widely smiled as she looked at the temple’s entrance. She waited for Jude to
come out so that they could attack Billvine together.

But contrary to her expectations, Jude did not come out.

Or rather, he couldn’t come out.

Because something happened that neither Cordelia nor Jude would have thought of.

‘The magic technique, the magic technique won’t stop!’

At the center of the temple.

At the center of the large magic circle, Jude stood with a puzzled expression.

There wasn’t anything wrong with the magic technique.

He had succeeded in casting <Solari’s Land> by using the power of Solari that was
stored in the temple.

But the magic technique didn’t stop.

Despite having already exhausted the stored power of Solari, it continued to gather
power.

And Jude realized it.

At the present moment, the magic circle was not gathering Solari’s power that
remained in the sacred place.

The magic circle was actually devouring the dragon vein’s power.

“Jude!”

Cordelia appeared at the temple’s entrance. She looked at Jude and realized it with
her animal-like instincts.
“Hey! You told me not to blow it up!”

The dragon vein was violently shaking.

It seemed that an incident similar to when Cordelia deliberately made the dragon
vein runaway was about to happen at any moment.

And two realized it again.

Jude detected it because he was standing above the magic circle while Cordelia
became aware of it through her animal-like instincts again.

It was different.

The flow of the dragon vein was not normal, but it was not a runaway. An explosion
wouldn’t happen either.

It was something different.

Not an explosion, but something that made the power of the dragon vein to flare up.

It wasn’t the magic technique.

The magic technique was just an opportunity for that something, and it was the will
of that ‘something’ that moved at that moment.

Kwaaaa-!

“Jude!”

A golden pillar of light shot up again from the magic circle. At the moment she saw it
envelop Jude, Cordelia thoughtlessly rushed towards the magic circle without
considering the consequences. She threw herself at the pillar of light and tried to
grab Jude.

And thus, he saw Cordelia.

Jude was the only one who originally saw it, but now that she was here, they saw the
sight in front of them.
A golden color.

A world that was full of shining gold.

“Cordelia!”

Jude hurriedly pulled Cordelia towards him and directed her to his back as if to hide
her.

As she stood behind Jude’s back, Cordelia raised her head and stared at the sky
instead of saying anything.

They were no longer in the temple.

They didn’t know if they were in a real or mental space, but what appeared in front
of them was not the sunset against a dark sky but the eyes of a huge being.

“Golden Dragon.”

When Cordelia spontaneously spoke, Jude also raised his head.

Cordelia was right.

A huge golden dragon covered in golden scales was looking down at them with
shining blue eyes.

“I am the one who is called the Golden Dragon.”

The voice spread out from the sky to the ground.

At the voice of the huge and enormous being, Jude and Cordelia felt their very
existence become smaller.

“I am one with the dragon vein-”

The head of the golden dragon that was up high began to slowly descend towards
Jude and Cordelia.

Cordelia flinched but raised her mana, and Jude moved half a step to the side to hide
Cordelia a little more.
“I recently experienced a series of explosions in the dragon veins. And those
explosions were caused by you.”

The golden dragon’s voice sounded monotonous. So they couldn’t read its emotions.

After he plainly enumerated those facts, Cordelia bit her lips and winced again while
Jude thought over and over again on how to protect Cordelia from that great being.

‘Should we run away? No, that’s impossible. If this space itself is the golden dragon’s
mental space, we cannot escape. Then, should we ask for forgiveness? It was to save
the wild gods… If you ever punish us, please punish me instead-’

While Jude’s head was busy thinking, Cordelia stepped forward. With a determined
face, she opened her lips that were tightly closed.

‘I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Please let Jude off. Everything is my fault.”

It was the moment when she was about to let out her voice.

“Thank you.”

“I was wrong- eh?”

The stunned Cordelia blinked her eyes, and the golden dragon spoke again.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to open my eyes.”

What is he talking about?

Didn’t the golden dragon appear to punish them?

“I am one with the dragon vein. That is why I live and die together with the dragon
vein. Evil groups have taken full control of the wild lands in the west. By taking
advantage of the time I was asleep, they polluted all the dragon veins in the west,
making me fall into a deeper sleep.”

The golden dragon did not wake up in Legend of Heroes 2.

Because the Devil’s Eye polluted not only the western dragon veins but also the
eastern dragon veins, causing the golden dragon to sleep forever.
But Jude and Cordelia, or to be precise, Cordelia changed the situation.

They prevented a series of attempts to pollute the eastern dragon veins.

Only the western dragon veins were contaminated, so it was still possible for the
golden dragon to wake up and recover its consciousness.

“The runaway of the dragon vein.”

Jude said in a small voice. He figured it out the moment he spoke to himself.

The explosions in the dragon veins caused ripples throughout the entire dragon vein.

And the ripples reached the deeply asleep golden dragon’s consciousness.

“At first, it was a small ripple. But I was able to open my eyes because of the recent
big shock.”

The big shock was the big explosion she caused at the dragon vein in Endymion that
caused the whole city to collapse.

Cordelia blinked her eyes again.

Although she didn’t fully understand it like Jude, she roughly understood the general
circumstances through her intuition.

So she spoke in a rather timid tone.

“Uh… then did I do well?”

“You’ve done a good job. Your actions deserve praise.”

A bright smile spread over Cordelia’s face.

Her back and shoulders which had been hunched over the past few days were now
straightened out.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Cordelia raised her chin up and Jude struggled to avoid Cordelia’s gaze. He then
asked the golden dragon.

“O Golden Dragon, may I inquire if you are fully awake now?”

“No, sadly not. Though I opened my eyes, I only regained my consciousness for a
while because of the shock. So children, do me a favor. Help me completely open my
eyes.”

“I’ll help you!”

When Cordelia shouted right away, a small smile spread over the golden dragon’s
face.

“Thank you, child. Then listen to my instructions carefully and carry it out.”

The golden dragon closed its eyes once, and a map of the wild lands appeared over
the golden sky, with the dragon vein locations drawn over the map.

“Blow up the polluted western dragon veins to shake off the evil power and create
ripples throughout the entire dragon veins. I’ll be able to completely open my eyes
then.”

“…Eh?”

Jude couldn’t help but ask back.

In short, we have to blow up all the western dragon veins?

“Wow, so we’re legal now?”

Jude tried hard to look away from Cordelia’s awe as he thought rationally.

‘Yes, the land’s contaminated anyway.’

Everything in the western part of the sacred place was contaminated already. Thus,
blowing it all up was the only way.

“The wicked will try to protect the polluted dragon veins. But don’t give in and
destroy them all.”
“Yes, I’ll surely do that. I promise!”

“I see, thank you.”

Good and evil seemed to have been reversed. Jude felt confused at the golden dragon
and Cordelia’s warm but not warmhearted conversation. But he soon came to his
senses and said the most necessary words at that moment.

“O Golden Dragon, we will follow your command, so please give us the strength to
carry out your will.”

Whatever the case, if there was an opportunity to get it, then they should get it.

Cordelia also came to her senses at Jude’s words and said as she bowed politely.

“Please give us your protection.”

“I will. My blessing will be with you, so that all the wild gods will help you.”

And at that moment…

A burning sensation was felt at the back of Jude and Cordelia’s left hands, and the
emblem of the golden dragon was tattooed there.

‘Eh! The Dragon’s Emblem?!”

It was an emblem that gave its owner the power of a dragon.

Among the numerous emblems in Legend of Heroes 2, it was particularly rare, and it
allowed its owner the power to use the dragon’s power in their human body.

‘Warriors became dragon warriors, and wizards could use the dragon’s mana.’

Particularly for the wizards, if the power of the emblem continued to grow, it would
even allow them to use dragon magic, which is the magic used by the dragons.

“Uwaaa…”

Cordelia’s face loosened as she looked at the emblem as if she was looking at a
diamond ring. And in fact, Jude was no different.
“Children, please. The wild lands-… All those who live in the wild-”

After saying its last request, the golden dragon closed its eyes.

Jude and Cordelia also followed it and closed their eyes. When they opened their
eyes again, they were back at the temple.

“The magic circle has stopped.”

Jude said, and Cordelia gazed at the back of her hand again. It was a white hand
without a mark, but when she focused on it, the golden dragon’s emblem came to her
mind.

“It’s real. In addition, I got a license.”

“License?”

“Yes, an explosion license.”

It was permitted by Golden Dragon, the king of the wild gods and the true master of
the wild lands.

Now, no one could stop Cordelia’s actions.

“N-not a chance. It’s not a license to kill.”

“But it’s permitted? And it’s an explosion license, an explosion.”

Cordelia stuck out her tongue and faintly laughed before she lightly clenched and
opened her fist.

She did not measure it, but she realized that time did not actually pass during the
moment when they met the golden dragon.

“Anyway, shall we go now?”

To defeat Billvine and save Blue Whiskers.

“It’s time for the legal troubleshooters.”

Cordelia brightly smiled with her canines visible before she stepped forward, while
Jude looked up the sky for a moment instead of walking together with her.

‘Golden Dragon.’

Perhaps it made a slight mistake.

‘No, maybe not a slight one.’

Jude bitterly smiled and lowered his gaze as he looked straight ahead.

He spurred on the ground to catch up to Cordelia, who had already passed the
temple’s entrance.
The number of enemies did not change.

Excluding the people who were originally brought as human sacrifices, the number
of combat troops remained the same.

But Jude’s face did not have the same look of concern that he had when he first saw
the enemies.

And it was the same with Cordelia.

“Let’s do hammer and anvil!”

As soon as Jude caught up to her, Cordelia shouted as if she waited for him.

Hammer and anvil.

A smile spread over Jude’s face.

“Am I the anvil?”

“I’m the hammer!”

They decided their roles.

Cordelia’s idea was somewhat different from the usual hammer and anvil tactic, but
they didn’t need to further talk or discuss about it because just an exchange of looks
was enough for them to decide their roles.

“I trust you!”

“Me too!”

Thud!
Jude added power on his legs and roughly kicked the ground. Within a breath, he
amplified his speed more than twice, leaving Cordelia’s side like a ray of light while
creating a whirlwind at the same time.

Bang!

Black Wind’s Advent.

As he rushed and flew using the wind, Jude saw the entire battlefield.

Inside Solari’s Land, he grasped the location of the Tomb Guardians and saw the
squirming Blue Whiskers raise himself up.

And it wasn’t just that.

The location of the enemies.

The number of enemies.

The location of Billvine whom Jude himself must hold down as the anvil!

Bang!

He accelerated once again.

All of the enemies including Billvine were surprised by the loud noise and
whirlwind, and they looked at Jude.

‘Mid-ranking demonic human.’

Billvine was especially strong as he was also a Named one.

So what?

“Ha!”

Jude rotated his body.

As the whirlwind and gale swirled into a vortex, the surrounding snow flew around
and blocked the sight of his enemies.
And Jude saw it. Satisfied with the figure of Billvine reflexively taking a defensive
pose by raising his shield, he concentrated his whole body’s strength onto his toes.

Black Dragon Cross Strike – Dragon’s Power.

The power of the dragon’s emblem was added to the Black Dragon Cross.

The Black Dragon’s power became stronger as a result.

As he spun his body in the air, Jude’s back kick struck Billvine’s shield. The pitch-
black cross plus his attack that was closer to a push kick than a rolling sole kick
exuded a terrifying power.

Baaaang-!

Billvine’s defense was solid like that of a wall.

Despite the heavy blow, his defense was not broken.

But he couldn’t help being pushed back.

Billvine was pushed more than twenty meters away, and for a moment, he was
completely separated from his subordinates.

And Jude charged again.

He made the whirlwind and gale even bigger, making it look like a tornado as it
surrounded himself and Billvine.

The windblown snow blocked Jude and Billvine from everyone’s eyes.

“Black Knight Billvine.”

He was a strong man.

When it came to a one-on-one confrontation, he was an unrivaled existence among

the few mid-ranking demonic humans in the Devil’s Eye.

“However.”
Jude knew of Billvine’s level.

He knew his battle pattern too and was familiar with all his characteristics and
weaknesses.

‘I wouldn’t have been able to do it until recently.’

But it was different now.

Jude had raised his level by nearly 20 compared to when he fought Zarakul in Gentle
Snow Breeze’s land.

His physical abilities had become stronger, and he had also opened the third door of
the Ninth Heaven’s Nine Doors.

‘We also have some stat bonuses.’

They were now much stronger than ordinary level 55 playable characters.

If they simply calculated their stats, they were around level 60 or higher.

‘Billvine’s level is 62.’

It was really high.

But Jude could handle him.

He had become strong enough to be the anvil that would hold this guy down.

“I am Jude Bayer from the Count Bayer family. Black Knight Billvine, I challenge you
to a duel.”

When Jude suddenly bowed and spoke, Billvine flinched, but he soon responded by
taking a dueling stance.

“I am Black Knight Billvine. I accept your challenge.”

Billvine was formerly a member of a fallen knight family, but he still held pride for
his family even when he was now a demon follower.
The evidence was his slightly happy look when Jude courteously asked him for a
duel.

‘Okay, let’s drag it out for a few seconds.’

20 seconds was enough for a few and polite exchange of words.

“I have long heard of the Black Knight’s high prestige. So it’s an honor to fight with
you like this today.”

“I have heard of the Count Bayer name too. I am also honored to exchange swords
with a descendant from the famous family.”

‘Alas, Billvine. Alas.’

Jude clenched his fists and spoke again, and Billvine sincerely answered again.

The whirlwind that spun with the snow blocked not only the view but also even the
slightest sound, so the two could focus on each other only as if they were in a
separate space.

“I’ll begin.”

“Come, descendant of the famous family.”

Billvine continued to speak seriously, and Jude waited for Billvine’s words to end
before he immediately sped up on the ground.

Although Billvine was weakened because of <Solari’s Land>, he was still the Black
Knight.

For a swordsman, a moment of carelessness could lead to their death.

Swooosh!

Billvine’s sword headed towards Jude’s chest. It wasn’t just a lunge, as he had read
Jude’s course and thrust his sword to a position where it would inevitably hit Jude.

So Jude did not avoid it.

He blocked Billvine’s sword attack with his knuckle gloves as if he knew what attack
would come out first.

He gently pushed with the back of his arm to change the trajectory of the attack.

Bam!

Jude’s arm penetrated Billvine. And at that moment, Billvine’s wall-like shield was
pushed back again, but Jude wasn’t flustered. Because he knew that one of Billvine’s
specialties was the use of a shield.

Swoosh!

The wind rose again.

Black Knight Billvine’s attribute was the earth, so Jude had completely optimized his
equipment to those that possessed wind attributes.

The whirlwind had become stronger in the first place because of his equipment.

Baaaang-!

The wind attacking the shield broke Billvine’s stance. Once again, Jude turned his
body and penetrated through Billvine’s defense as he strongly pushed Billvine’s
chest.

His attack that was similar to the Bajiquan’s Iron Mountain Attack pushed back
Billvine, but it wasn’t enough. Billvine quickly corrected his posture and swung his
sword at Jude. No, he tried to swing it.

Bam!

It was blocked.

Jude’s arm struck Billvine’s arm before his sword could move.

Immediately after blocking the attack, Jude turned again and hit Billvine’s side with
his other hand.

Bang!
Billvine’s armor rang like a bell at Jude’s close-range strike.

“Ugh!”

The moment Billvine stepped back, Jude exhaled. He clenched his teeth and used the
Lightning Punch.

Babababam!

Seven consecutive strikes that were as quick as lightning struck Billvine, but he
didn’t back down.

He used his shield to block all of Jude’s attacks.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The iron shield clanged, and Jude was hit by the power of the earth that was
wrapped around Billvine’s shield.

It was unfortunate that the full setting of Jude’s equipment was focused on wind and
speed, but if he had not done that, Jude would have suffered more damage from his
own attack.

Swing-!

It was at that moment.

The defending Billvine suddenly swung his sword at a frightening speed towards
Jude’s neck.

Jude was aware of this attack. He had even prepared his mind in advance.

But he could barely avoid it.

He lowered his posture to evade the sword attack, and several strands of Jude’s hair
was cut and flew into the air. Billvine used that opportunity to strike Jude’s face with
his knee.

Wham!
Jude stopped Billvine’s knee with his palm. He let himself be pushed away by Billvine
and then made a big leap backwards.

Thud!

That was the sound of Billvine stepping on the ground with his foot that pushed Jude
away.

He fixed his posture at once and swung his sword towards Jude in succession.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

He should have evaded those attacks as much as possible, but the three consecutive
sword attacks drew different trajectories.

Therefore, Jude did not avoid it. He used the Black Dragon Cross Strike to offset the
sword.

Baaang!

The cross and sword attack were destroyed.

Having drawn out his strength too quickly, Jude landed on the ground and swallowed
a groan, while Billvine had already kicked the ground.

He swung his sword at once, narrowing the distance as if he was trying to corner
Jude.

Black Lightning.

Black Knight Billvine’s special attack move.

Jude’s eyes shined when the lightning strikes were unleased while drawing a black
trajectory.

He reacted immediately, as if he had been waiting for that moment.

Swaaaaang!

Billvine’s sword struck the ground. It tore through the whirlwind and with a loud
noise, the entire whirlwind was destroyed.

Shaaa-

The snow that had risen in the wind fell down from the sky. And in the meantime,
Jude moved.

Jude evaded the Black Lightning with his Fairy Steps, as he unhesitatingly widened
his distance from Billvine.

‘Because lightning strikes twice.’

Black Lightning wasn’t an attack with a single strike. The second lightning strike was
supposed to be struck with the hand that held the shield.

Moreover, now was the time.

“Cordelia.”

Jude smiled as he looked at the sight beyond the destroyed whirlwind.

On the other hand, Billvine widely opened his eyes in surprise.

A witch with dark red hair was literally smashing Billvine’s subordinates.

Running like a beast with the Tomb Guardians, she was a natural disaster herself.

Double casting.

Spell’s Echo.

She was able to cast four spells with just one spell.

Every time she cast a multi-shot magic missile, dozens of magic missiles were
created, and all of those swept the area like a storm.

“Human disaster.”

That was Yellow Storm’s nickname in Legend of Heroes 2.

Billvine’s men were already weakened by the effect of <Solari’s Land>.

In addition, the Tomb Guardians emitted a sacred aura, and Blue Whiskers had stood
up and joined them, making their enemies helpless.

“Were you aiming for this?”

Billvine glared at Jude as if he had been betrayed, and Jude smiled.

Wasn’t it his fault that he fell for a one-on-one duel without fully grasping the power of
his opponents first?

And there was one more reason why Jude smiled.

“Is that Beast Mode?”

Jude was talking to Cordelia, not Billvine.

Although there were still quite a few of Billvine’s men left, Cordelia entrusted them
to the Tomb Guardians and Blue Whiskers as she approached Jude and Billvine.

Pretending not to have heard Jude, she said to Billvine.

“Now that the hammer is here, shall we start round two?”

Hammer and anvil.

Billvine flinched again before shouting at Jude.

“Coward! Are you going to use the pincer movement in a one-on-one duel!”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.”

At that moment, Billvine was stunned at the refreshing answer of the two, and
Cordelia then said as she took a step forward.

“No, you’re the one who’s a coward since you came with a bunch of men in the first
place.”
Because the proportion was originally forty is to two.

Billvine gritted and clenched his teeth at Cordelia’s words, and her expression
softened a little.

She opened her mouth and shamelessly said to Billvine.

“Black Knight Billvine, I will fight you as an agent of the golden dragon.”

Because Billvine liked this kind of declaration.

However, Jude figured out Cordelia’s innermost thoughts.

‘You liked it.’

She was recognized by the golden dragon as a bomber – no, as an agent.

But if he pointed that out, her face will turn red, so he only smiled and fixed his
posture. He breathed and took a step with Cordelia.

“Ha! Come!”

Billvine exclaimed and the other two did not hesitate. Jude and Cordelia advanced
towards Billvine.

***

“We won!”

Two rings of light emerged around Cordelia as she widely smiled and made a V-sign
with her fingers.

In the battle’s aftermath, her hair became disheveled, her clothes had tears
everywhere, but her broad smile seemed to be shining.

Jude clapped his hands and approached Billvine who had scattered into ashes.

They would have a bit of a hard time in fighting him if he had used his demonized
form, but just as how he died in the game, he had fought as a human until the end, so
Jude offered a brief moment of silence for him.
“I’ll use it well.”

He was referring to the armor and shield that was left by Billvine.

Jude wasn’t into heavy armor, but it would have some use if he took it.

For example, he could give it to Lucas or just sell it.

“I think they’re done there too.”

As Cordelia had said, Billvine’s men were virtually annihilated.

Some of them tried to escape, but the extremely angry Blue Whiskers flew into the
sky and did not miss anyone who fled.

“He seemed to be embarrassed, right?”

“He must be embarrassed.”

Because he almost died after he charged and ignored Cordelia’s dissuasion.

His life was saved, and he could make up for his disgrace thanks to the two, but Blue
Whiskers couldn’t help but be embarrassed as he still had a sense of shame.

“Hehe, then we can bleed him dry.”

“…Eh?”

“I mean, he’s indebted to us and feels guilty, so he’ll listen to us, right? I’m going to
take Solari’s necklace no matter what.”

“Yes, yes.”

When Cordelia said that with an angelic face and faintly laughed, Jude immediately
agreed with her, but his conscience somehow felt guilty.

What is this?

It’s like I feel guilty for seriously dirtying a pure white snowfield.
“What’s wrong with your expression? Are you sick? Did you get stabbed?”

“No, just… I remember the old days of innocence.”

Where had the old days gone, when Cordelia spoke in monotone because she was
bad at lying?

‘No, I was definitely the one who corrupted her.’

While Jude struggled alone in his guilt, Cordelia tilted her head several times before
she smiled again and headed back to the temple where Lena was in.

***

“What do you mean? It’s going to be delayed?”

“The fight had used up much of the sacred place’s power. The power to naturally
wash away dirt had also become insufficient… so it couldn’t be helped.”

Blue Whiskers was overwhelmed by Cordelia’s furious voice as he replied with an

embarrassed face.

Solari’s power had been used up so much that there was not enough power to heal
Lena.

So it would at least take a month for Solari’s power to be restored and for Lena to be
healed.

‘As expected.’

Unlike Cordelia, Jude had expected the current situation to some extent.

He was the one who used up Solari’s power in the first place.

“Cordelia, we have no choice. It’s a good thing that recovery is still possible, so let’s
just leave her here and go.”

“Ugeueu…”

Cordelia and Jude didn’t come to the wild lands just to save Lena.
Now was the time for them to return to the village of the Great Storm tribe, join
forces with the tribe to form the Eastern Alliance, and fight the Angry Bull tribe that
dominated the western part of the wild lands.

“Uuuuu… haa… it can’t be helped. Mr. Blue Whiskers, please take good care of Lena,
okay?”

“All right.”

Blue Whiskers said as he gazed at Solari’s necklace that was on Cordelia’s waist.

Unlike the huge Blue Whiskers, the necklace was too big for Cordelia, so she wore it
around her waist rather than her neck. The necklace had now become Cordelia’s
property and not Blue Whiskers’.

And it wasn’t just that.

Several relics of Solari that had been kept for many years in the sacred place was
now all over the bodies of Jude and Cordelia.

Although Blue Whiskers himself gave it to them and there was a clear reason to give
it to them, he couldn’t help but feel as if he was robbed.

‘They saved my life, protected the sacred place, and both are guardians of the wild
lands who were recognized by the golden dragon… ’

How could he disobey the golden dragon’s words to not spare their support?

Blue Whiskers secretly shed tears, and Cordelia turned to Kaplan and said.

“Will Sir Kaplan stay here?”

“Yes, I will study the sacred place and wait for Lena to wake up.”

At Kaplan’s lively words, Cordelia smiled as she hugged him once and said.

“Thanks to Sir Kaplan, we were able to solve the problem in Endymion. So thank you.
Sir Kaplan is like an angel of luck for Jude and me.”

Because of Kaplan, they were able to meet the wild fairies and find the hidden paths
of Endymion.

In addition, the fact that there was a dragon vein in Endymion was also information
that Kaplan had learned thanks to him interpreting the language of the High Elves.

“Miss Cordelia…”

Kaplan’s eyes were filled with tears in an instant.

She was grateful that he continued to be together with them, and she even called him
their angel of luck.

Weren’t those words he had never heard of, or he had thought he would never hear
in his life?

“I look forward to seeing you again.”

“Yes, we’ll definitely see you again.”

Kaplan wiped away his tears and broadly smiled, and Cordelia grinned as she turned
around.

‘Come on, you too.’

When Cordelia winked at Jude, who was somehow counting numbers behind her, he
also opened his mouth and said.

“Sir Kaplan, please don’t forget. Sir Kaplan isn’t a god. He is just a diligent and
reliable explorer and archeologist.”

“Yes, I will not forget it, Jude.”

After he shook hands with Kaplan, Jude bade farewell to Blue Whiskers and then left
the temple with Cordelia.

“Are we going back right now?”

“I suppose so. It’s a bit unfortunate that we wouldn’t be able to see the Fairy Queen,
but it would take some time if we go to Endymion, so let’s just go straight from here.”
They would travel in a straight line without passing through Raptor Canyon.

Cordelia nodded when Jude showed the way to her by drawing on the ground
instead of opening the map.

“All right, then let’s start right away.”

“Okay.”

“But Jude.”

“Yes?”

“Did something good happen? You look brighter than usual.”

“Because you won?”

“Mmm, yes, because I won.”

Cordelia softly laughed before she took the lead and began walking. Jude stepped
forward and walked together with Cordelia.

And at the same time…

“If we go one more day from here, we’ll reach Raptor Canyon. According to Fine
Snow, Jude and Cordelia would be there.”

She already knew of that information, but because those were Gael’s words, she
listened before letting out a sigh of relief.

“Haa… seriously. They’re just going around the entire wild lands.”

“You’re right.”

They thought their journey would end at Count Hræsvelgr’s territory, but they ended
up crossing the border and continuing their journey here.

Moreover, Count Chase’s ring, which was the only magic device that could roughly
track Cordelia’s location, had been damaged after entering the wild lands, making
tracking more difficult.
‘Well… thankfully, the destinations are clear.’

Though the wild land was wide, there were only a few places where people lived.
And there was also the fact that it was beyond the border, and that Cordelia didn’t
hide her destination, so all these reasons made it easier to track them.

‘Haa, anyway, I’ll spank their butt when we meet.’

Of course, she was referring to Jude’s butt and not the kind and gentle Cordelia’s
butt.

“Lady Adelia.”

“Yes?! Ah, yes. Lord Gael.”

Adelia was startled but managed to answer, and Gael tilted his head. He then asked
again in a serious tone.

“Will your leave of absence be fine? We’ve already gone way beyond our initial
schedule…”

“Well, it can’t be helped. Stuff like this happened.”

Adelia shrugged and bitterly smiled, and Gael said with a sincere look.

“This has already gone beyond a simple runaway. Now that it has become a big
incident that is greatly related to the defense of the north, I’ll write a petition to the
Royal Guard Magic Corps under Count Bayer’s name… No, I’ll write a formal
statement and send it.”

“Umm… thank you.”

Adelia would have normally told the other to not overdo it, especially if her aide was
the one who said it, but it was different this time since it was Gael’s words.

‘Well, how do I say it? Beyond being simply sincere… ’

Should I say that he’s earnest?

He’s a trustable and dependable man who gives me a sense of security.

“Lady Adelia, it might be difficult, but we’ll find a place to rest if we go a little further.
So let’s start moving again.”

Gael rose from his seat first and politely stretched out his hand to Adelia, who
cleared her throat and stood up while holding his hand.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s go. Lord Gael.”

Gael and Adelia looked at each other and smiled as they walked forward together.

And because of that, the paths of Jude and Cordelia, and Gael and Adelia completely
diverged.

As for another person…

“This is a big problem.”

Looking back at his bag that had become four bags now, Count Chase checked his
budget and soon made up his mind.

He hurriedly wrote a letter to the Red Dawn Tower.

‘Send me a space-expansion bag.’

As the trip got longer, just one bag wasn’t enough.

Currently in the northernmost city of Lankebuste, he was still not aware that his two
daughters, his soon-to-be son-in-law, and a person who might become his son-in-law
were all beyond the border and in the wild lands.

Terms used in this chapter:

Hammer and anvil – a military tactic that works by using two forces, one stationary
and one mobile. The stationary force “fixes” the adversary and prevents escape while
the mobile force moves toward it with the adversary caught between. The opponent
then, is caught between the two forces and can’t flee because of the stationary force
(anvil), nor can it stay because of the moving force (hammer). – Source:
justiceacademy.org

Push kick – Taekwondo term for a kick that pushes the opponent away using the
bottom of one’s foot.

Rolling sole kick – Popularized in wrestling as a spin kick variation. The wrestler
spins around and then kicks the opponent with their outer leg, striking the opponent
in the torso with the sole of their foot.

Bajiquan – a Chinese martial art that features explosive short-range power and is
famous for its elbow and shoulder strikes.

Iron Mountain Attack – one of the trump card moves of Akira Yuki, the character
and mascot of Sega’s Virtua Fighter video game series. Akira Yuki uses the Bajiquan
as his fighting style.

Pincer movement – the act of attacking an enemy on both sides at the same time.
Haraken, a high-ranking demonic human of the Devil’s Eye and the main person in
charge of all their plans in the wild lands, couldn’t retain his human form.

In his anger, his compound eyes, wings, and horns were all revealed, but he managed
to suppress himself from screaming loudly.

‘Billvine’s dead?’

Black Knight Billvine.

Among the mid-ranking demonic humans of the Devil’s Eye, he had the best combat
power.

‘What is it? What’s going on in the east?’

The demonic humans who were dispatched to pollute the eastern dragon veins had
their connections cut off one after another.

When Zarakul first died, he thought that something like that could possibly happen.

When Madgar died, he was extremely surprised. So he asked for support from the
Devil’s Eye’s headquarters in the Argon Empire and they sent Billvine.

But Billvine also died.

‘The east.’

Something like this had never happened in the west.

But strange things were continuously happening in the east.

‘Red Gale’s condition is not getting worse either.’

If it went according to their original estimation, he would have been dead or lying
sick and unable to move, but that didn’t happen at all based on his spies’
information.

His condition had rather improved than before.

‘That’s not the only problem.’

The Eastern Alliance.

Now that the west was about to be unified under the flag of the Angry Bull tribe,
their intelligence reported that Red Gale was trying to establish an Eastern Alliance
centered around the Great Storm tribe.

‘No, that is unacceptable.’

Wasn’t that the reason he cursed Red Gale in the first place?

Wasn’t it to prevent the current situation?

However, his condition was improving little by little.

And as Haraken feared, he was trying to establish an Eastern Alliance.

‘In the end, should I solve it through force?’

By polluting the eastern dragon veins, they tried to incapacitate the wild gods and
the tribes under them.

He tried to maintain the power of the barbarian lands as much as possible for their
fight against the Salen Kingdom, but that seemed to be impossible now.

‘Once this military expedition is over, I’ll gather the troops from the entire west to
strike the east.’

After he made up his mind, Haraken calmed himself down by taking a deep breath.

He returned to his human form of a prophet with a long white beard and laid his
eyes on at the map showing the locations of all the tribes in the barbarian lands.
‘Great Storm, Violent Avalanche, Gentle Snow Breeze, and the sacred place in the
east.’

Who was it?

Who in the world was protecting the eastern dragon veins?

Was it one person?

Or was it several people?

“Who is it, who are you…”

Haraken’s low and angry voice was heard inside his tent.

***

At the same time, at a place far away from Haraken who was in the far west…

One of the people Haraken hated had slowly wiggled her body and opened her eyes.

“Uuugh…”

Cordelia grunted as she barely opened her eyes before closing them again.

But instead of falling asleep, she let out her voice again.

“Mmnnn…”

It was the typical sleepy voice.

Those who let out such a voice would normally fall back to sleep, but Cordelia was a
little different.

She reopened her falling eyelids and forced them to stay open.

“Uhhhh…”

She uttered a groan as she tried to move.

Cordelia barely opened her eyes as she felt refreshed but also felt a slight pain as if
her muscles were being pulled.

“Oww…”

“Are you awake?”

Upon hearing Jude’s voice, Cordelia blinked her eyes and somewhat became aware of
her position.

‘I’m on his back.’

She was being carried through a podaegi on Jude’s back.

Instead of recalling why she was in such a situation, Cordelia rested her cheek on
Jude’s back.

‘It’s cold.’

Did the leather get cold when I took my head off for a while?

But it wasn’t very cold. As she found the coolness to be pleasant, Cordelia replied.

“Mmm… I’m awake. I’m awake.”

Although her voice sounded weak, it was quite clear compared to when she just
woke up.

But Jude slightly fixed his carrying position and peeked at Cordelia as he said.

“Would you like to sleep for a bit more?”

“No, I’ll wake up. I will wake up.”

Cordelia wiggled her body again and then removed her head from Jude’s back. She
thought she would fall asleep again if she kept leaning her head on his back.

Jude said again to Cordelia.

“Are you no longer exhausted? You made such a fuss yesterday.”

“Huh? Yesterday? Yesterday I… ahhhh.”

At the end of her words, Cordelia turned red and buried her face on Jude’s back. She
wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

The fuss she made yesterday.

Her shameful behavior last night.

“It’s because of Beast Mode, so I understand.”

Jude spoke in an exuberant voice, and Cordelia groaned once again before she
snorted and said.

“I was going to get off, but now I won’t. I’ll continue taking advantage of this
situation. I’ll continue this luxury. I’ll break Jude’s spine.”

T/N: Kind of a pun here, as Cordelia was both referring to an idiom and of literally
breaking Jude’s spine because he was carrying her.

Break (someone’s) spine is a Korean idiom which means to exploit or take another’s
fortune in every possible way. Also referred to as ‘spine breaker’ and commonly used on
parents and children. Children are ‘spine breakers’ if they demand something that is so
expensive or ‘burdensome’ to their parents that ‘it breaks their parent’s spine because
of the burden.’

“If you insist. I’m fine with it because the warmth in my back feels like I’m walking
around with a stove.”

Cordelia sulked even more at Jude’s sly answer, but she felt like she’ll lose if she
continued further.

So Cordelia changed the topic.

“But Jude.”

“Yes.”

“How long have we traveled?”

“Based on my estimation… I think we can see it now?”

“Huh?”

“Over there. There. Can you see it?”

Cordelia silently shifted her gaze to the direction Jude was pointing with his chin,
squinted her eyes, and soon shouted in surprise.

“What! Gentle Snow Breeze’s basin?!”

It was clearly Gentle Snow Breeze’s basin that was situated on a snowfield that was
like a vast ocean.

As she blankly stared at the basin located at the foot of mountains that surrounded
it, Cordelia gasped for a moment before she looked back at Jude again.

“Oh my gosh. Hey, how long have you walked while carrying me? What time is it
now?”

“About half a day? It’s roughly 3 to 4 in the afternoon, I think?”

“Half a day?!”

In terms of time, that was about 6 hours.

The startled Cordelia writhed her body while still being carried in a podaegi as she
asked.

“Are you all right? Does your legs hurt? What about your waist?”

It was no less than 6 hours.

Just walking was already hard, but he continued walking while Cordelia was on his
back?

Moreover, Jude had one more luggage. The small rope tied around his waist was
connected to a sled full of luggage that he was dragging.

When Cordelia was flustered and worried, Jude said as he pretended to wipe tears
from his eyes.

“My princess is all grown up now. She knows how to worry. Daddy is going to cry.”

“Wow, you must be really comfortable if you can talk such nonsense. Has my Jude
really become stronger?”

“It’s all thanks to Madam.”

Whether he was acting or not, Jude’s voice had indeed, sounded relaxed.

Cordelia suddenly touched Jude’s back and shoulder, and she widely smiled at Jude’s
strong and firm body that resembled a savage animal, or rather, a beast.

“Yes, Daddy. That’s a good mindset. Please continue to thank me. Ahem, ahem, it feels
nice.”

After smiling at the appearance of Cordelia who cleared her throat while wanting to
be thanked more, Jude looked at the front again and said.

“Now then, just stay on my back as we’ll get there if we go a little further.”

They could see the basin, but it was still at a distance that would take 30 minutes on
foot.

But Cordelia shook her head, patted Jude on his back and said.

“Jude, Jude. Can’t you just go fast? Just create some wind and go swoosh-swoosh.”

“No, over there. Can’t you see the luggage sled? Walking is okay but running is
impossible, okay?”

If he did that, all their luggage would be turned upside down.

However, Cordelia said with a bright face as if it was not a problem.

“Why don’t you just leave the luggage sled for a while, take me to the basin, and then
come back alone to take the luggage with you?”

“What?”
“Leave the luggage sled and only take me as you run fast, and then Daddy will come
back alone to take the luggage.”

She rephrased it in an innocent-sounding tone, but the content itself was cruel.

“You must be really Satan.”

“Come on, come on. Cordelia wants to go to the village, sit comfortably, and then
drink hot tea.”

“Does hair grow in your heart?”

“No, my heart is always kind.”

Cordelia retorted and grinned, while Jude had a blank face before he smiled.

“Well, okay. Shall we go?”

“Eh? Really?”

Cordelia was taken aback as she blinked her eyes and asked.

It’s just a silly joke but is he really going to do it?

“I’ll have to do what my princess wants.”

“No, wait. Wait a minute. I was really just joking…”

Her words were cut off at that moment. Jude untied the rope that was connected to
the sled and even untied the podaegi. He grabbed Cordelia who was about to slip
down, threw her into the air as he quickly turned around and caught her again.

“Eeeh?”

Why is he now carrying me in his arms when I was clearly on his back just now?

And why is Jude’s face in front of me?

“Let’s go.”
Jude grinned and said, while Cordelia remained speechless.

She unconsciously nodded her head while blushing.

And Jude was pleased with Cordelia’s response. He held Cordelia in his strong arms
and kicked the ground.

“Black Wind’s Advent.”

A black gale and golden whirlwind surrounded Jude and Cordelia.

***

Jude and Cordelia simultaneously raised their voices in front of Gentle Snow Breeze
whom they met again after being gone for a few days.

“What?! My older sister?!”

“What?! My older brother?!”

“Yes, your older sister and brother came here. They smelled and looked to be really
related to you in many ways, so I told them that you two went to Raptor Canyon…
Looking at your reactions, you must have missed each other.”

At Gentle Snow Breeze’s words, Jude immediately clapped his hands without even
needing to recall the map in his head.

They gone diagonally without passing through Raptor Canyon.

Perhaps by now, Gael and Adelia were at the beginning of Raptor Canyon.

‘We might have really met them if we had gone through Endymion.’

It was when Jude was thinking that.

“W-what should we do? My sister came? She must have chased after me? Eh? Did she
come here to catch us?”

Cordelia was flustered as she fell into a panic.

Her face turned white even if Adelia wasn’t really that scary.

“Cordelia, calm down. The two came here to find us who run away. Not to hunt us.”

“N-no? It’s because you don’t know my sister? Perhaps she really came here to hunt
us? That’s right, she’s definitely hunting us.”

“Woah, woah, calm down. Calm yourself. If my brother and Adelia have come this far,
they would have roughly known what we are doing. So let’s be positive. My brother
and Adelia are strong. They’ll be a great help in the fight against the west.”

Though it was not accurate because he didn’t experience it directly in Legend of

Heroes 2, but if he inferred it from the background and settings information, Gael and
Adelia were clearly strong enough to fight against a mid-ranking demonic human
alone.

‘They could at least do that much.’

Gael was the heir of Count Bayer, who is one of the ten great swordmasters, and
Adelia was a genius wizard who became the youngest head of the Royal Guard Magic
Corps.

The minimum they could handle was just a mid-ranking demonic human, and it was
highly possible that they could fight those who were stronger than that.

But despite hearing Jude’s words, Cordelia still couldn’t shake off her anxiety.

“No, it’s because you don’t know. And you’re more in danger than me. My sister
might try to kill you.”

“Ei, no way. And you’ve seen it, right? I’ve become quite strong now, right?”

He was right. So Cordelia seemed to calm down for a moment, but she soon shook
her head and said again.

“No, my sister is a wizard so she might cast a curse on you. Yes, a curse. I have to set
up some precautions against the curse. I have to learn magic resistance spells and
become familiar with them.”

The magic spells that were written in the witch’s spell book exceeded a dozen and
even reached in the hundreds.

There were quite a few spells that she hadn’t learned because she didn’t need it then,
but she thought that now was the best chance to learn it.

“Uh… it seems that you’re going a little overboard, but it isn’t bad to learn it.”

“Uuuuh… is there any other way to stop my sister?”

“There is one.”

“What is it?”

“Umm… it’s been a while since you’ve done it.”

“It’s been a while?”

“My beloved…”

They haven’t said those words ever since they left Count Hræsvelgr’s territory.

“My beloved Mr. Jude Bayer…”

“Okay, okay. That’s it. You know what it is, so that’s it.”

Cordelia gasped as her face turned red, and then fanned herself with her hand before
making a trouble expression again.

“Uhhhhh… Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll do it. It’s not my first time, so I can do it.”

“Yes, you’ll get used to it.”

“That’s right, I’ll get used to it.”

Cordelia unconsciously repeated Jude’s slip of the tongue that he said quietly, and
she nodded a few times before clenching her fist.

“I can do it. I’ll protect you. I’ll protect you, Jude.”

“Thank you, Cordelia. You’re the only one who can do it.”
“Eh? Uh… ahem, ahem.”

Cordelia was suddenly embarrassed as her cheeks turned red and she cleared her
throat before averting her gaze. Because of that, she ended up meeting eyes with
Gentle Snow Breeze who was watching her.

“Uh… is it over now?”

“I-it’s over.”

As Cordelia’s face turned redder, Gentle Snow Breeze smiled and said to Jude who
had a sly look.

“Jude, there’s actually something more urgent than that.”

“Don’t tell me… did the west launched an attack already?”

Jude asked back in surprise. Because he couldn’t see any signs of war from the
appearance of the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe while they were on the way here.

“No, it’s not an attack. We just have a problem in establishing the Eastern Alliance.”

“A problem?”

When Cordelia asked her, Gentle Snow Breeze paused for a while as if she organized
the story in her head before she began to explain.

“The establishment of the Eastern Alliance went smoothly. Not only me and Violent
Avalanche, but also Great Storm… Because of us three wild gods, the other tribes and
wild gods near us also cooperated. The only problem is the Blade Song tribe in the
north.”

“Blade Song.”

He was one of the strongest beings among the wild gods in the east.

The Blade Song tribe that he cared for was a combat race that was both tenacious
and belligerent and was second only to the Angry Bull tribe.

‘If the Great Storm tribe are elves, then the Blade Song tribe are orcs.’
In fact, they inherited the blood of the ancient Orcs.

‘The Angry Bull tribe and the Blade Song tribe were the ones who always took the
lead in the battle against the Salen Kingdom.’

There was only one reason why the Blade Song tribe would cause a problem in the
establishment of the Eastern Alliance.

“It’s a battle for leadership.”

“Yes, the Blade Song tribe agreed to the formation of the Eastern Alliance itself but
insisted that they become the head of the alliance.”

“Are there people pushing for the Great Storm tribe?”

“Not necessarily. However, they were against the Blade Song tribe in becoming the
leader of the alliance. If the Blade Song tribe became the leader of the alliance, the
fight against the west will cause even greater damage. Moreover, since the power of
the wild lands have now been gathered as one, they will try to fight against the Salen
Kingdom again.”

Her words were convincing.

Cordelia had been quietly listening before she raised her hand and asked.

“What did the wild god of the Blade Song tribe say?”

“The tribes of the wild land tend to resemble the wild gods who take care of them.
That Blade Song had been a war fanatic in the past and even now in the present, so
it’s hard to talk to him.”

It seemed impossible to solve the problem with a conversation in the first place, as
the Gentle Snow Breeze who always used gentle words like her name spoke like that.

“Is there any other way?”

“There is. And that way is why it became a problem.”

“Uh… there is a way but that’s what caused the problem?”

When Cordelia asked again, Gentle Snow Breeze nodded her head and replied.

“Yes, the Blade Song tribe applied for a Karaval to the Great Storm tribe.”

Karaval.

Cordelia blinked her eyes as she thought what that meant, but Jude frowned.

Because he remembered it from his memory in the corner of his Memory Palace.

“It’s a one-on-one fight. A way to settle a dispute through a duel.”

Most tribes were unfamiliar with that method that if it weren’t for the tribes that
were battle fanatics like the Blade Song tribe or the Angry Bull tribe, they wouldn’t
know about Karaval. However, there were no tribes in the wild land who denied the
authority of the Karaval itself.

“Normally, it would have been Red Gale…”

Thanks to Jude, his curse was prevented from progressing, but he was still sick.

“The Blade Song tribe also took that into account and sent the chieftain’s son, Sun
Song, as their representative for Karaval.”

“Uh… Then, so our side should send the next strongest warrior after Red Gale, right?”

“No, it’s not. Since the Blade Song tribe sent out Sun Song, our side must also send
the chieftain’s child as the representative for Karaval.”

As the conversation progressed, Jude and Cordelia finally realized what the problem
was.

“Red Wind.”

She was the person who must be sent as the representative for Karaval.

Gentle Snow Breeze nodded her head when Cordelia reflexively said her name.

She then spoke to summarize everything that she had said.

“Red Wind must beat Sun Song.”

That was the only way to properly establish the Eastern Alliance.

Jude and Cordelia turned to each other.

Terms used in this chapter:

Hair grows in one’s heart – An idiom which refers to a brazen person. An English
equivalent would be ‘having a lot of nerve.’
The wild god Blade Song and the barbarian warrior Sun Song.

Jude and Cordelia had in fact already knew of them.

‘Because they were the vanguards in the barbarian invasion event.’

Blade Song was a cruel and violent wild god, while Sun song was called ‘Bloody
Hands’ because both of his hands were always soaked with the fresh blood of
victims.

Both of them had the impression of being berserkers crazy for blood, but after
listening to Gentle Snow Breeze’s story, they seemed to have an aggressive nature
even before they had been corrupted.

‘I’m glad we know his fighting style.’

Not much was known about how he changed before and after he was corrupted, but
he would not have completely and suddenly changed his way of fighting just because
he got corrupted.

‘He used a blade and shamanic songs, right?’

Jude nodded at Cordelia’s gaze.

The warriors of the Blade Song tribe always sang while fighting even when they were
corrupted. This was to strengthen themselves with songs full of shamanic power as
well as to weaken the strength and morale of their enemies.

‘Do you remember his battle pattern?’

‘Yes.’

‘As expected of my Jude.’

A smile spread over Cordelia’s face, and that smile pleased Jude again.

‘But it’s really strange.’

‘What’s strange?’

‘How we can communicate with just the look of our eyes.’

‘You’re right.’

Perhaps they were both thinking different things and simply misunderstanding that
the other was ‘communicating this and that with their eyes’.

‘Well, I suppose it isn’t to that extent.’

That extent might just be some subtle differences.

Regardless, Jude turned to Gentle Snow Breeze and asked again.

“O Gentle Snow Breeze, can you tell us when the Karaval would be held?”

“The fight was decided on the day of the coming sun, which is 8 days later.”

8 days later.

He had expected that the schedule would be quite tight.

Jude asked again.

“The reason why this is a problem… is also because Sun Song is stronger than Red
Wind as of now, right?”

At the question he threw to clarify, Gentle Snow Breeze looked depressed and
nodded her head.

“Sun Song is one of the best geniuses in battle in the Blade Song tribe which has
many strong warriors. He was also born with the talent for shamanism. When he
was born, Blade Song went around boasting about him… Sigh… In addition, they
have quite an age difference. Red Wind is only sixteen years old, but Sun Song is
already twenty-two years old.”
If the Red Wind now was just a sprout that was on the verge of becoming stronger,
Sun Song was already a young tree that grown stronger and on its way to its prime.

Cordelia seriously cherished Red Wind so she had a depressed look like Gentle Snow
Breeze, but she then raised her hand and asked again.

“Gentle Snow Breeze, does having Karaval make sense even though they have such
an objective difference in power?”

It was quite a logical argument, which was unusual for Cordelia, but Gentle Snow
Breeze nodded.

“Yes, it might be a bit unreasonable, but the wild land is basically the world of where
the strong prey upon the weak. Moreover, this Karaval’s goal is to elect a
representative for the alliance… There are many opinions that a strong warrior
should naturally become the representative.”

In other words, a tribe that couldn’t send a strong warrior for the Karaval was not
qualified to become a representative in the first place.

“As expected… the only way is for Red Wind to win against Sun Song.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m worried.”

Their objective difference in power was quite visible.

Gentle Snow Breeze’s shoulders fell as she became depressed, while Cordelia
likewise drooped her shoulders before she turned to Jude.

Cordelia’s gaze was saying ‘What should we do?’ but in the eyes of Jude, it seemed to
say, ‘Please do something,’ so Jude stepped forward and said.

“Okay. Cordelia and I will do something about it.”

“The two of you?”

Gentle Snow Breeze blinked her eyes and asked.

Because Gentle Snow Breeze had no expectations from the very beginning and had
just brought up the story to share her worries.
However, Jude and Cordelia had already saved several wild gods and defeated demon
followers one way or another.

Gentle Snow Breeze was delighted with a vague belief and expectation, and Cordelia
also thumped on her chest.

“That’s right, Jude and I will do something. Don’t worry too much.”

“Aah… Thank you very much. You two are truly the saviors of the wild land.”

When Gentle Snow Breeze held her hands together as if she was praying, a thought
suddenly came to Cordelia’s mind at that moment, so she raised her head up and
looked at Jude.

“That’s right! We’re the guardians of the wild lands, right? We’ve been recognized by
the Golden Dragon King. So wouldn’t it work if we asked Blade Song?”

Didn’t the Golden Dragon King say that all the wild gods in the wild land will support
Jude and Cordelia?

But Jude shook his head.

“No, even if it works… Red Wind must beat Sun Song in order to properly establish
an alliance.”

“Uuuugh… is that so…”

It wouldn’t be a proper alliance if they were united through force and authority.

“Uh… but you two, what did you mean by ‘guardians of the wild lands’?”

“Oh, that…”

Gentle Snow Breeze asked as she tilted her head, so Cordelia briefly explained what
had happened after they arrived at Raptor Canyon.

“My goodness, such a thing happened.”

Her eyes were mixed with countless emotions such as confusion, anticipation, anger,
joy, and so on. Gentle Snow Breeze then clapped her hands.
She was angry at the demon followers for trying to pollute the entire dragon vein
and corrupt the wild lands but was also expectant of the Golden Dragon King to
return and solve all their problems.

“I was originally thinking of accepting any request you two have, but it is even more
so now that the Golden Dragon King had made you two as guardians. Tell me if
there’s anything you need.”

Gentle Snow Breeze clenched her fist as she said that and Cordelia thought of
various divine items, but Jude demanded something more urgent.

“O Gentle Snow Breeze, please send our luggage to the village of the Great Storm
tribe.”

“Eh? Your luggage?”

“Yes, I think that we have to hurry.”

Having said that, Jude looked back at Cordelia and she blinked her eyes for a
moment, wondering what he meant, but she understood at some point. So she
nodded her head and said to Gentle Snow Breeze.

“We’ll head towards the village of the Great Storm tribe and meet Red Wind. I don’t
think we can take our luggage with us because we have to hurry.”

“Ah, is that so. Leave that to me then.”

Gentle Snow Breeze clapped her hands in understanding, and Cordelia immediately
looked back at Jude. He turned around without a word and showed his back to
Cordelia.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Cordelia instantly replied before she jumped and clung on Jude’s back as if used to it.

“See you at Karaval then.”

“See you then!”

“Uh… yes.”

Gentle Snow Breeze waved her hand with a somewhat surprised face, and the two
didn’t waste their time.

As soon as Jude left Gentle Snow Breeze’s residence, he created a golden whirlwind
while Cordelia hugged Jude’s neck and said.

“Let’s go, JuDelia.”

Since Jude and Cordelia were unified as one, it became JuDelia.

Jude almost lost his composure at her sudden words, but he soon fixed Cordelia’s
position and said as he kicked the ground.

“I’m glad it’s not CorDe.”

“Do you like that better?”

That was the end of their conversation.

Jude became the gale instead of answering, and Cordelia closed her eyes as he
sprinted. She hugged Jude’s neck a little harder.

***

“Ah! Cordelia-unnie! Jude-oppa!”

At the village of the Great Storm tribe…

Jude and Cordelia arrived at the village of the Great Storm tribe before the day
ended, having run and run again, though they took a few breaks in the middle. They
were then greeted by Red Wind.

“It’s been a while, how have you been?”

“I’ve been doing well. Look at this. It’s my new friend.”

Red Wind spoke with a wide smile as she spread out her palm and a small flame
sprang up.
It was Saria, a flame spirit belonging to the lowest grade.

“I followed Unnie’s words. I studied spirits.”

Both Jude and Cordelia smiled at Red Wind’s wide smile that was so bright and
cheerful, but when the two looked at each other, they had a different look.

‘As expected… she hasn’t gotten much stronger, right?’

‘Because it hasn’t even been a month yet.’

It seemed like they had been going around here and there, but the time Jude and
Cordelia had spent in the wild lands was actually less than a month.

Even if she was at her peak at the age of sixteen, she wouldn’t get that much stronger
within a month.

‘Then, what about us?’

‘Uh… we’re abnormal?’

Because the two had gotten several times stronger in a month.

But what mattered now was Red Wind, not Jude and Cordelia.

Therefore, the two focused on Red Wind again.

“Red Wind, are you the one participating in Karaval this time?”

When Cordelia carefully asked, Red Wind’s face went stiff for a moment before she
smiled again and nodded.

“Yes. I will do my best. I will fight for everyone.”

She clenched her fists and confidently spoke, but Cordelia instinctively felt it while
Jude saw through Red Wind’s acting.

‘I’m scared.’

The fact that she had to fight against someone stronger than her was not scary.
What would happen if she was defeated?

She feared betraying everyone’s expectations.

Unlike a little while ago, her stiff smile revealed a lot of things.

So Cordelia clasped Red Wind’s trembling hands and said.

“It’s all right. Jude and I will help. You’ll be able to beat Sun Song.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

With a wide smile, Cordelia tightly hugged Red Wind who was on the verge of tears.

She didn’t cry, but it was visible how stressed she was.

‘Umm.’

Jude quietly waited and after a long hug, Cordelia said as she touched Red Wind’s
cheek.

“It’s late today, so let’s rest for now and finish our conversation tomorrow. Okay?”

“Okay. Unnie, I like you so much.”

“I like you too.”

Cordelia coddled and tightly hugged Red Wind again, and Cordelia sent a glance to
Jude, who then nodded.

***

“But what should we do?”

Inside the lodging that Red Wind guided them to…

Because it was already late at night, their talk with Red Gale and Violent Avalanche
was delayed until tomorrow. Jude and Cordelia lied beside each other as they stared
at the tent’s roof.

The remaining time was only a week.

Would it be possible for Red Wind to become strong enough to beat Sun Song in that
time?

“Shall we have her follow Kaplan?”

Wouldn’t it be possible for her to be hugely strengthened if she defeated a bunch of

named monsters?

“It’s possible, but we’re running out time. It’ll take a few days just to get to where
Kaplan is.”

The remaining time was only 7 days.

They shouldn’t waste their time in traveling.

“Uuuuu… what should we do then? Should we temporarily lend her items?”

“That’s the basic plan… but that’s not enough, right?”

No matter how good the items were, there was a limit.

Jude and Cordelia were able to get full sets of items by attribute thanks to the
benevolent Fairy Queen, so they had full sets that matched their level, but it wasn’t
possible to assemble a set of legend-grade or myth-grade items.

“But items with basic specs will fit her.”

“We can also strengthen her attribute’s power.”

Red Wind had begun handling a flame spirit, so items with a fire attribute would be
good for her.

“Haa… it’s not enough. There needs to be something more.”

Cordelia squirmed while lying down in her bed before she turned her head to the
side. Jude was lying sideways on his bed a few steps away from her, and their gazes
met.

“Jude?”

“I think we have no choice but to take a hard-line approach.”

“Hard-line approach?”

When Cordelia sat up and asked, Jude also sat up and replied.

“Let’s get the Phoenix.”

“What?”

“The Phoenix.”

“We’re getting the Phoenix at this point in time?”

“Yes, that’s the only way.”

Phoenix.

Or Reckless Fire to be exact.

In the original game, it was an essential spirit that Red Wind must obtain in her
Spirit Warrior skill tree.

“If she gets the Phoenix, her potential as a Spirit Warrior would crazily grow, and the
skills she could immediately use are also incredibly strong.”

The story of the Phoenix that appeared in the original game was as follows.

Reckless Fire, a powerful but evil flame spirit, committed all sorts of tyranny in the
wild land, but an unknown spirit warrior became angry and subdued Reckless Fire
before sealing it in an ancient temple.

“Everyone forgot about it after a long time, but Red Wind accidentally found the
ruins.”

“Red Wind defeated Reckless Fire who woke up from its seal-”
“The Phoenix died and then resurrected. At its resurrection, its personality was
reversed, and it became a good spirit.”

“It recognized Red Wind who defeated it and acknowledged her as its master.”

The way the story itself unfolded sounded easy to do too.

They had no problem in locating the ruins because of JudeWiki.

“Thank you for believing in me.”

“Do you not know it?”

“I know where it is.”

So the real problem now was the timing of the event.

“The northern barbarian event was over, so Red Wind who had already become quite
strong, visited the village of the Great Storm tribe that was in ruins.”

In short, it was a story at a time when Red Wind was at least ten times stronger than
she was now.

“No, it’s impossible. How will Red Wind defeat the Phoenix now?”

Cordelia said as her shoulders drooped, but Jude shook his head.

“Not, it’s possible. We can help her.”

“That’s good? No, even if the two of us joined forces right now, we may or may not be
able to defeat the Phoenix, you know?”

“We have to try. And… it might be possible if she gets the last hit.”

It was also necessary for her to be recognized by the Phoenix.

“Will that work?”

“I hope it works.”
Because that was the only way they had right now.

“Uuuuuh… Okay, let’s do it. Yes, we can do it.”

“Yes, we can do it.”

“Yes, yes, we can.”

Cordelia cheerfully said before she lied down on her bed again, pulled up her
blanket, and shut her eyes.

“Let’s sleep for tomorrow then. Good night, Jude.”

“Yes, dream of me.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Cordelia coyly replied before falling into sleep, and Jude who had a hard time today,
also deeply fell asleep.

And the next morning…

“Wow… is this all for me?”

Red Wind widely opened her eyes and looked at herself as she asked.

She was really sparkling.

Red Wind was covered in magic items from head to toe.

And at her innocent question, Jude replied with a refreshing smile.

“No, we’re lending it to you.”

He had to say it to make sure that she knew.

“I’m sorry.”

When Cordelia smiled and spoke with an awkward expression, Red Wind’s shoulders
dropped as if she was somewhat disappointed.
But for a while, she had a cheerful expression again because of her increased
strength due to the magic items.

“I feel a lot stronger. Now I can fight Sun Song.”

“Yes, but it’s still not enough. So let’s practice now.”

“Practice?”

“Yes, practice for getting used to the faster speed and stronger power.”

Cordelia said before casting <Haste> and <Strength> magic on Red Wind.

“Now, run.”

“Eh? Run…?!”

Red Wind couldn’t adapt to the completely different speed and power than usual, so
she splendidly fell. Jude and Cordelia looked at each other with relaxed expressions
as they anticipated this situation.

“Will it take half a day?”

“That’s enough for her to adapt.”

For now, she had to become familiar with her enhanced state.

Jude and Cordelia sat down as they quietly watched the struggling Red Wind who
couldn’t control her body.

And a few minutes passed.

Cordelia suddenly turned to Jude and said.

“But Jude.”

“Yes?”

“What if, seriously, what if?”

“Yes, what if?”

“What if the Phoenix thinks of you or me as its master?”

At Cordelia’s simple question, Jude paused for a moment before he replied with an
awkward smile.

“Ei, no way.”

“Is that right? There’s no way that would happen?”

“Yes, no way.”

But why?

This ominous feeling.

After a brief silence, Jude and Cordelia looked at the front again as they saw Red
Wind falling down on her butt again.
While Cordelia oversaw Red Wind’s training, Jude went to meet Red Gale and Violent
Avalanche.

He had to talk to them about the status of the Golden Dragon King and their plan to
obtain the Phoenix.

“I see…”

Red Gale slowly nodded after hearing the whole story.

Perhaps due to Solari’s Necklace, his condition had improved than before.

“I can’t believe the Golden Dragon King was in that condition. Moreover, the demon
followers have already taken the west…”

Violent Avalanche squatted on the floor as it held its head and groaned.

The fact that all of the western dragon veins had already been contaminated could
only mean that all the wild gods in the west had turned into enemies.

“The Golden Dragon King said that its condition would improve if we blow up the
western dragon veins.”

When Jude spoke as if he was consoling them, Violent Avalanche flinched and had a
really complicated expression on its face.

“Y-yes.”

Violent Avalanche seemed to recall the scene of its own entire rocky mountain
disappearing.

Red Gale said again.

“Jude, are you saying that Red Wind should obtain the Phoenix?”

“Yes, I think that’s our best option for now.”

A long time ago, an unknown spirit warrior sealed the Phoenix, an ancient spirit.

Red Gale hadn’t known that the sealing place of the Phoenix was near their village,
but he didn’t doubt Jude’s words.

Jude was Red Wind’s benefactor, but he also personally met the Golden Dragon King
and was recognized as a guardian of the wild lands.

“Hmm… I think I’ve heard of a similar story when I was young.”

A violent and evil bird of flame.

Violent Avalanche scratched its chin as it spoke, and Jude gazed at everyone again.

“Red Wind has the talent to be a spirit warrior. If she obtains the Phoenix, she’ll be
able to win against Sun Song in the Karaval.”

That was actually their only option.

Red Gale closed his eyes and was in deep thought for a while. He soon nodded and
agreed to Jude’s plan.

“I understand. It is as you said. In her current state, Red Wind cannot beat Sun Song.
She needs the Phoenix’s power.”

It was a plan to unseal a violent ancient spirit. The dangers it posed if something
went wrong were high, but Red Gale decided to trust Jude.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you too. If you need anything, just say it. I’ll do my best to help.”

If he was the Fairy Queen, Jude would have immediately jumped on his words and
bleed him dry.

But Red Gale and the Fairy Queen were different.

Instead of smiling with sparkling eyes, Jude talked about the support he really
needed for the plan to work.

“I see… If you say so. I understand. I will prepare it.”

Red Gale accepted his request and Jude was relieved. He then turned to Violent
Avalanche.

“Violent Avalanche is going to help us, right?”

“Eh? Me too?”

“Yes, Violent Avalanche.”

“Uh… yes! That’s right. It’s for the wild lands, so I’ll help as much as I can.”

“Thank you.”

Violent Avalanche became even more anxious upon seeing Jude’s bright smile, but it
couldn’t take back the words it had already spoken.

The wild god awkwardly smiled and lightly thumped its chest, as if putting up a bold
front.

“I’m planning to capture the Phoenix tomorrow… Will the preparations be ready by
then?”

“It will be possible. The preparations will be ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Me as well.”

Red Gale courteously answered and Violent Avalanche got up from its seat and
replied too.

They now had the support of a wild god and the Great Storm tribe.

With this, it would be possible to implement a strategy that was not possible in the
game.

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

There were 7 days left until the Karaval.

Jude went out of Red Gale’s house.

***

“So it ended with us going there tomorrow?”

“We don’t have much time left until the day of the Karaval. Even if she obtained the
Phoenix, she’ll need time to get used to it.”

Inside Jude and Cordelia’s lodging…

The two had spread out a bunch of magic items on the bed and were thinking about
what items would suit Red Wind.

Jude glanced at the figure of Cordelia as she folded her arms and groaned in serious
contemplation. He then asked while she picked up a ring with a freezing attribute.

“How is Red Wind?”

“She got used to it. She’s remarkably talented since she’s a playable character in the
first place. It’s now possible for her to fight with <Haste> and <Strength> cast on her
twice.”

Cordelia stretched out her hand and slightly lifted the tiara that had a freezing
attribute.

“Hmm, do I have to take off my headband to wear this?”

She had worn the rabbit set ever since the time they stopped by the village of the
Great Storm tribe.

Jude had removed his and changed into the saint’s clothes somewhere in the middle
of their trip, but Cordelia had been wearing the rabbit ears and tail all the time.

“Hmm… it’s possible to wear it together.”

This was reality and not a game, so it was possible to wear equipment in the same
area.
“Take this off first and try this one on…”

Cordelia tried to take off the rabbit ears headband while talking to herself, but her
words trailed off. Because she had felt Jude staring at her.

“Why?”

“No, that…”

Jude’s words trailed off too for some reason and Cordelia tilted her head. But her
eyes soon sparkled, and she giggled.

“What is it? Are you sad that I won’t be wearing the rabbit ears anymore? Would you
like me to continue wearing it? Do you miss it?”

She said that because she wanted to see Jude be flustered.

As she triumphantly smiled inside her thoughts, Cordelia intentionally spoke in a

cunning manner. Jude immediately responded to her.

“Uh, I want to continue seeing it.”

“If you say that you want to see it, then I’ll continue… eh?”

“I want to continue seeing it.”

Jude looked straight into Cordelia’s blue eyes and seriously spoke while Cordelia
blinked her eyes with a stunned expression. And she began stuttering.

“N-no. That… what…”

“It’s cute, Cordelia.”

Jude spoke again and Cordelia’s face turned red.

No, what is he talking about now?

Did he eat some weird medicine?

Cordelia was at a loss and didn’t know what to do. Jude seriously looked at her and
then said with a pleasant smile.

“The rabbit ears are cute, the rabbit ears. Oh, the rabbit tail is cute too.”

“You!”

Cordelia slapped the back of Jude who spoke shamelessly, but the physical abilities of
the two already had a lot of differences.

Jude snickered and pretended to be hurt while Cordelia hit Jude even harder.

And the next morning…

“Wow, Unnie is so cute.”

Red Wind was wearing items with flame attributes all over her body and she then
said in admiration as she gazed on Cordelia’s head.

A silver tiara with blue jewels was sitting atop Cordelia’s head together with the
rabbit ears headband.

Cordelia, the second daughter of Count Chase, answered after making a ‘hmph’
sound.

“Because a certain mister desperately pleaded to me.”

“I didn’t plead though?”

“Should I take it off then?”

“No, Madam. You’re the cutest.”

Jude wily spoke and Cordelia turned away as she let out another ‘hmph’ but did not
remove her headband.

Anyone who saw her would see that her cheeks were slightly red.

And Violent Avalanche said after seeing the two.

“Ha, how cheesy.”

As expected of the crazy couple.

The people related to them are crazy too.

“So cute.”

When Red Wind giggled and spoke, Cordelia’s face turned even redder and her lips
twitched several times before she changed the topic.

“Anyway, we’re going now. Are you ready?”

“We’re ready.”

Red Wind was the first to answer energetically, followed by Violent Avalanche who
reluctantly nodded its head.

“It seems that the Great Storm tribe is also ready.”

Jude said as he pointed out to them, so Cordelia nodded her head.

The shamans of the Great Storm tribe were fully equipped and prepared as they
were approaching the group.

“Okay, let’s go then. JudeWiki, please take the lead.”

“Yes, Madam. I will lead the way.”

Jude politely answered and led the way with Cordelia behind him, followed
immediately by Red Wind, Violent Avalanche, and the shamans of the Great Storm
tribe who were lined up in a file.

And about an hour or so…

As he headed westward, Jude suddenly turned around and said.

“By the way, Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

“Shouldn’t we start practicing?”

“What practice?”

“Adelia Countermeasures practice.”

Jude’s words made Cordelia had a face that looked like she didn’t comprehend what
he was talking about, but she soon understood it and said after saying a ‘hmph.’

“I don’t need to practice, okay? I’ll just do it when she arrives, okay?”

“No, you still have to practice. The opponent is none other than Adelia. My brother
Gael will roughly let it pass but not Adelia, right?”

“Ugh.”

It was as Jude had said. A lot of Cordelia’s actions were basically suspicious, and her
doubtful actions would grow deeper if she faced Adelia.

“Shouldn’t you at least be able to speak naturally?”

There was truth in his words.

But Cordelia wasn’t a fool either. Practicing was necessary, but she didn’t have to do
it now. Besides, he seemed to have said that to tease her.

“I can’t, I won’t do it now here. Ah, come to think of it, it’s not just me who should
practice. I’m not the only one who likes you… No, what am I saying. Anyway, aren’t
we known to like each other in the first place?”

“Then, shall I go first?”

“Eh?”

“My beloved Lady Cordelia. You’re very beautiful today. No, you’re very lovely.”

The moment Jude said that with a charming smile, Cordelia had a brain fart.

She stood stupefied before she began hitting Jude at random.

“Don’t say it! Don’t!”

“No, I have to practice! Ah! It hurts! Hey! It really hurts!”

“I know that you’re not really hurt, okay?!”

“No! If you hit me like that, it hurts, okay?!”

Cordelia changed her method of attacking by slapping his skin like a whip.

She was indeed a battle genius.

Cordelia could find a way to do him damage somehow.

While Jude and Cordelia were moving forward while squawking with each other…

“This very lovey-dovey couple making a fuss…”

“Unnie is cute. Hehe.”

Violent Avalanche clicked its tongue while Red Wind’s eyes sparkled.

And about a dozen minutes later…

“Stop, stop hitting me. We’re almost there.”

“Haa… haa… we’re still far away… eh, seriously?”

They were in front of a huge tomb with rocks piled up on top of each other.

Down there was a hidden path that lead to the underground ruins where the
Phoenix was sealed.

“All right, let’s get started then.”

The Phoenix would resurrect even if it dies, so it was unnecessary for them to use a
capture – no, an annihilation strategy.

Jude and Cordelia exchanged glances while Violent Avalanche held a silent prayer for
the Phoenix that they haven’t yet met.

***
In the original story, the entrance to the rock tomb was revealed due to a natural
disaster, but that only happened when the wild lands were in chaos.

Therefore, Jude and Cordelia decided to use a different method.

“Is there a dragon vein here?”

“No, you demon.”

“Ei, why? It’s legal.”

Cordelia acted cute as she laughed and said, but Jude shook his head and turned to
Violent Avalanche.

“Please help us.”

“Uh… my body isn’t that powerful.”

“But it’s better than nothing.”

He had brought Violent Avalanche for other things and not for strenuous work, but a
wild god was still a wild god.

“Alright! I’ll use a little power!”

The rocks in the tomb shook as Violent Avalanche opened its arms and let out an
‘Uooh’ sound.

The rocks easily moved when Violent Avalanche slightly lifted the rocks with a
telekinetic power.

“Me too then.”

Cordelia used Witch Transformation and showed off her telekinetic powers too.

Whenever her blue eyes shone, a large rock was moved to the side.

“Jude-oppa, what should we do?”

“We don’t have any telekinetic powers, so let’s just watch.”

Unfortunately, there was no popcorn here.

Jude stroked the head of Red Wind as they waited for a while. After five minutes or
so, the rocks blocking the tomb were cleared, revealing a round entrance.

“This is definitely an ancient magic formula. I can see traces of the High Elves.”

Jude nodded at Violent Avalanche’s words.

Considering the situation, it was highly likely that the unknown spirit warrior was a
high elf from the magic kingdom of Magellan.

“The inside of the sealing place isn’t big, but it’s still called a dungeon. There’s a
defense system in place to protect the Phoenix’s seal.”

“Yes, I know. I’ve read the things you wrote down yesterday several times.”

“I have read it many times. It’s easy to read because it’s in our language.”

When Red Wind raised her hand and spoke, Jude happily smiled before looking at
everyone.

“Only me, Cordelia, Red Wind, and Violent Avalanche will enter the sealing area.
However, the real battle against the Phoenix will be outside the ruins, so please be
prepared.”

“We understand, Guardian.”

On behalf of the Great Storm tribe’s shamans, the great shaman called Frost Wind
spoke.

He was Red Gale’s friend and a powerful wind shaman.

“Okay, are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

Cordelia said after drinking the potion bottle’s contents and wiping her lips, and
Jude approached the seal’s entrance.
He had released the seal that was blocking the entrance by drawing a magic circle for
unsealing.

“<Unseal.>”

The moment he said the word, the ground cracked and rumbled before the floor on
which the seal was drawn had collapsed.

The diameter of the created hole was more than 2 meters.

As he glanced inside the hole, Jude nodded. Like in the original, the place was
roughly 10 meters high.

“Cordelia.”

“Hmph.”

Cordelia snorted once before she moved to Jude’s side, and let herself be carried by
Jude.

“Red Wind, please take care of Violent Avalanche.”

“Leave it to me.”

Red Wind smiled and raised her thumb before carrying Violent Avalanche who was
in the form of a bear cub.

“Please be well prepared.”

“Please leave it to me.”

Jude lastly asked Frost Wind to prepare before he jumped inside the hole.
Thud-!

Jude landed like a feather because of the brilliant golden whirlwind. He put Cordelia
down while Red Wind landed with a series of thudding sounds.

“Be careful, the attack would begin as soon as you cross that line.”

Cordelia spoke in a low voice and promptly lit a magic light to drive out the darkness.

“As expected, this is the High Elves’ architectural style. The unknown spirit warrior
must have been a high elf.”

Hearing the words of Violent Avalanche, Jude and Cordelia looked into the distance.

They could see the rock egg where the Phoenix was sealed straight ahead.

“Are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“What about you, Red Wind?”

“I’m ready too.”

“Okay, then let’s go.”

“Why are you not asking about me?”

The voices ended with Violent Avalanche speaking.

Jude just looked ahead but the kind Cordelia opened her mouth for Violent
Avalanche.
“Are you ready, Violent Avalanche?”

“I am.”

“Alright, then let’s go.”

Cordelia said as she tapped the back of Jude who then nodded.

In his mind, he recalled the dungeon in the game.

‘A series of straightforward traps.’

A series of straightforward flame attacks would beset them in the passage leading to
the sealing area, perhaps because a Phoenix was sealed here.

But if they knew where, what, and how the attack would unfold, they would be able
to fully respond.

“Formation complete. Let’s go!”

Thud!

Jude kicked the ground and took the lead.

At that moment, flames shot down above his head, but Jude unhesitatingly raised his
right hand high.

He made a shield using Count Chase’s ring to stop the flames and passed the flame
zone in less than a second.

“<Cold Air!>”

And Cordelia ran right behind him. Because Cordelia was wearing items with
Freezing attributes, she wasn’t even slightly harmed by the flames at all. The flame’s
momentum was broken by Jude who had already passed by, and then pushed away
by the <Cold Air> magic that Cordelia cast so she was able to easily pass too.

“Uooo!”

Violent Avalanche just ran, and so did Red Wind. She was wearing items with Flame
attributes in the first place, so Red Wind was strong against the flames in a different
sense than Cordelia.

“Let’s move on!”

“Here I go!”

Cordelia took the lead this time.

She blocked the flames in advance on both sides by using a telekinetic power
covered with the <Cold Air> spell, while Jude stepped forward and spread out the
shield to stop the suddenly appearing flames.

“Uooo!”

Violent just ran this time again and Red Wind was not much different.

And that repeated for five times.

After finally breaking through all the traps and arriving at the sealing area, Jude and
Cordelia exchanged glances and immediately took action.

“<Sword of Calamity!>”

She had changed the spear version of Calamity which she had always used into a
sword version.

With the jet-black flame sword, Cordelia broke the magic circle that was drawn on
the floor which led to the seal itself to be destroyed.

Szzzzzk-!

Sparks rose from the ground and magical energy erupted everywhere, making Red
Wind swallow her breath. She then swung the blessed blunt weapon in her hand and
struck the rock egg.

Booom-!

A thunderbolt struck.
The rock egg shattered with the sound of thunder, and a huge roar shook the entire
sealing area at that moment.

“Kiaaaaa-!”

The roaring of the Phoenix was similar to why a chicken cries in the bright morning.

Flames burst out in front of them and a yellow color filled their vision.

The heat they felt seemed like it could melt their whole bodies.

“Uooo!”

At that very moment, Violent Avalanche jumped up. Jude grabbed such Violent
Avalanche and pushed Violent Avalanche into their pre-calculated position.

Boooom-!

The raging flames, or to be precise, the shooting flames collided into Violent
Avalanche.

Although Violent Avalanche was weak, it was still a wild god.

Violent Avalanche was also the wild god of avalanches who ruled a rocky mountain.

The flames were stopped by the force of an immensely cold air, and the death flames
that occurred when the Phoenix awoke were neutralized and disappeared.

“Gaaah!”

Jude hastily recovered the screaming Violent Avalanche before he raised his head.
This is because the Phoenix who woke up had spread out its wings and flew
outwards.

“Hurry up!”

“Let’s merge!”

Cordelia sprinted and merged with Jude as he carried her. Jude ran after the Phoenix
while Red Wind followed them after carrying Violent Avalanche.
And immediately after…

“Kiaaa!”

The Phoenix shrieked when it tried to fly out of the sealing area.

It was because of the <Cold Air> magic circle cast by the shamans of the Great Storm
tribe who were waiting outside the sealing area.

“Okay!”

In the original story, Red Wind had to face the Phoenix alone, but not now.

So they came up with this plan.

An easy and fast strategy that they couldn’t do in the game!

“Cha-cha!”

Jude kicked the wall as he jumped up at once and flew out of the entrance. While
holding Cordelia, he rolled on the floor once before they quickly stood up.

“Kuooo!”

The Phoenix angrily screamed and rushed towards Frost Wind, the great shaman of
the Great Storm tribe.

It was as expected and as planned.

“Cordelia!”

“Okay!”

Booooom-!

Frost Wind and the shamans’ spells blocked the Phoenix.

The Phoenix tried to attack Frost Wind like a bird catching its prey. When its feet
touched the ground for a moment, Cordelia dug into that gap.
“<Freeze!>”

It was a simple freezing spell that bound the target.

But it was important to note that the caster was Cordelia.

“<Double Casting>! <Spell’s Echo>!”

One spell quickly became four.

In addition, Cordelia’s level had reached around 60, which let her use a new skill.

“<Freeze!> <Freeze!><Freeze!>”

High-Speed Chanting.

A unique skill of wizards that allowed them to use magic in quick succession.

Because it was a relatively simple magic, it was possible to use it four times in a row,
even if her mastery of High-Speed Chanting was still low.

And if Double Casting and Spell’s Echo was added to this…

“Kkeuaaa!”

The Phoenix screamed in pain as something surprising happened. The whole body of
the Phoenix began to freeze.

“16 Freeze shots!”

Jude shouted while Cordelia’s nose bled.

Because she had randomly shot magic spells too quickly.

But Cordelia was undaunted and swallowed the contents of a potion. Jude ran
forward and tore the magic circles he had drawn overnight.

“<Magic Fixation!> <Magic Resistance Reduction!>”

What he used were spells that increased the duration of the already cast magic and
reduced the enemy’s magic resistance.

The Phoenix was a flame spirit whose whole body was made of flames. So in order
for it to remain frozen, he had to do at least that much.

“Okay! Here we go!”

Cordelia wiped the blood from her lips and nose before she powerfully shouted and
cast 16 Freeze shots again. The already frozen Phoenix was frozen even more.

“Kkeuaaa!”

The Phoenix continued to scream in the midst of this.

Well, it could still scream after all.

Because Jude and Cordelia adjusted the magic spells so that only the Phoenix’s head
did not freeze.

Why was that?

Why did they leave out the head?

“Red Wind!”

“Head! Head! Head! Head!”

Cordelia shouted at Red Wind, who was late in coming out of the sealing area with
Violent Avalanche. And Red Wind responded to Cordelia’s call.

As she had been taught yesterday, she shouted ‘head’ and swung her blessed blunt
weapon.

“Ack! Ack! Ack!”

The Phoenix was a flame spirit that had no substance, so it was immune to most
physical attacks, but Red Wind’s attacks were an exception.

The blunt weapon that was blessed by the three wild gods – Violent Avalanche,
Gentle Snow Breeze, and Great Storm, hit the Phoenix’s spirit body itself.
“Head! Head! Head! Head!”

The frozen and immobile Phoenix had its head pounded like mad by Red Wind.

The Phoenix shrieked and tried to break the ice, but it was impossible. Jude and
Cordelia did not let it do so.

“16 Freeze shots!”

“<Magic Fixation!> <Magic Resistance Reduction!>”

Crack! Crack! Crack!

If the ice seemed to slightly break, the ice froze again.

Because of its lowered magic resistance, Red Wind’s attacks were more painful.

“Kkeuaaa! Ack!”

“Head!”

Red Wind did not stop. She was sweating a lot while Jude calculated the health of the
Phoenix and of Red Wind’s attack. As a result, he figured out the total number of
attacks she still needed to do.

“Just 50 more!”

“Hiiek?!”

The Phoenix swallowed its scream at Jude’s cry.

50 more hits from now.

50 more.

“Kkiaaa!”

When the Phoenix loudly screamed, Cordelia turned to Violent Avalanche.

As if she had looked for an interpreter, Violent Avalanche quickly understood.

“It’s saying that it would rather be killed by just a knife.”

“I see.”

But that was impossible.

Red Wind didn’t have the ability to do that yet.

She had to work hard and hit the Phoenix blow by blow to reach 50 hits.

“Tsk-tsk-tsk, I somehow feel guilty about this.”

Violent Avalanche clicked its tongue and offered a silent prayer for the still alive
Phoenix.

And in the midst of that, Jude faced Cordelia and asked.

“Can you do it one more time?”

“I’ll try!”

Cordelia was actually feeling dizzy, but she deliberately spoke energetically and cast
<Freeze> again afterwards.

The situation seemed to be easygoing at first glance, but it wasn’t at all.

The shamans of the Great Storm tribe were able to narrowly restrain the Phoenix
due to the magic circle they had set up and activated, but if they let their guard down
for just a bit, the Phoenix might break the ice and run away.

“Red Wind! Hurry!”

This was the last time that Cordelia could continuously cast <Freeze> magic.

At Jude’s urging, Red Wind shouted in concentration and swung her blunt weapon
again.

“Head!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Red Wind climbed up on the Phoenix’s back and bombarded it with three
consecutive strikes before she flinched and jumped down in an instant.

Because at the moment of her last attack, she ‘felt’ it.

“Okay! We’ve reached 50 strikes!”

Jude exclaimed as he supported the staggering Cordelia, and Cordelia saw it at that
moment.

Shwaaaa-!

The ice that had sealed the Phoenix melted away.

And the Phoenix’s flame also died down.

But it was only for a moment.

A small flame rose again in the air. The flame that started as yellow in color became
blue and then turned into red as it greatly intensified before turning into a new bird
of flame.

“Aaah!”

It was a clear and ringing voice.

Just like in the game, the evil Phoenix died and was reborn as a new pure and
innocent baby Phoenix.

“Wow…”

Red Wind dropped her blunt weapon as she let out a voice in awe, and so did the
shamans of the Great Storm tribe.

But Jude and Cordelia were rather tense as they gulped in nervousness.

This moment was somehow more important than defeating the Phoenix.

‘Choose Red Wind as your master!’

When Jude mentally shouted, the Phoenix flew in the air and surveyed everyone on
the ground.

“Uh, our eyes met.”

The moment Cordelia said that, the baby Phoenix suddenly shuddered and then flew
towards Red Wind. It somehow looked like it was running away from Cordelia.

“Hmm, that’s better, that’s an excellent choice.”

Cordelia narrowed her eyes at the words of Violent Avalanche, but she widely smiled
afterwards upon seeing the Phoenix sitting on Red Wind’s shoulder.

“Looks like it worked.”

The newly born Phoenix recognized Red Wind as its master.

Red Wind carefully stretched out her hands to Phoenix, and the newly born Phoenix
who was small and a little larger than a dove, sat on Red Wind’s hand as if it
responded to her.

Their actions could only mean one thing.

“Would you like to be with me?”

When Red Wind asked in the wild land’s language, the Phoenix nodded and then
rubbed its head against the Red Wind’s cheeks, as if it signed a contract with her.

“Hehehe. It’s a Phoenix! A Phoenix!”

Red Wind widely smiled and looked at Jude and Cordelia. The two sighed with a look
of relief before smiling together.

“We got one thing done.”

“We got one thing done. We also gained something.”

“Eh? Gained something?”

What are you talking about? Didn’t the Phoenix become Red Wind’s?
Cordelia tilted her head and Jude smiled as he took out what he packed earlier when
they got out of the sealing area.

It was a golden feather filled with a red aura.

An item that contained not only the power of a strong flame but also the power of
regeneration.

“The Phoenix’s feather.”

It also belonged to a Phoenix that was over a thousand years old.

“Uwaah.”

Cordelia admired it like a child, making Jude smile before he put the feather on her
hair.

He then said with a brilliant smile.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes! I like it!”

Cordelia promptly answered as she laughed like Red Wind. She then spoke again
after she straightened her posture.

“Okay, we have 6 days left. When we return, we’ll start the special training right
away.”

Because getting the Phoenix wasn’t everything they had to do.

During the remaining time left, Red Wind had to engrave in her mind and body not
only on how to use the Phoenix but also on how to fight Sun Song.

Jude said as he nodded his head.

“Yes, you also have to practice in your spare time too.”

“Ugeue…”
Practice.

Cordelia had a troubled look on her face and Jude delightedly smiled as he mentally
thanked Gael and Adelia.
Inside Jude and Cordelia’s tent at night…

The lit candles diffused a faint light and warmth all over the place.

And in the middle of that place.

There was a beautiful girl in a white dress with rabbit ears on her head. She had a
shy expression on her face as her lips quivered.

Although the candle’s faint light was very small and weak when compared to the
night’s darkness, it brought out the girl’s captivating beauty like a ray of light in the
darkness.

She had burning red cheeks, misty eyes, and lips that drew nice-looking curves
whenever it quivered.

The girl hesitated for quite some time before she swallowed her saliva and her long
white neck trembled a little.

She opened her lips and a nervous voice came out with her breath.

“M-my b-beloved Mr. Jude Bayer.”

The girl’s cheeks turned redder at her words that expressed love, and the
surrounding area that was gently warmed by the candlelight also became hot.

“A-and…”

Sweat flowed along the girl’s smooth jawline, and the girl put her hands together and
squeezed them, as if she was plucking up the courage to confess before she spoke.

“I-I… c-can’t live without J-Jude, Mr. Jude Bayer.”

Her words came out slightly stuttered before she bit her lips.

Her voice seemed to have a mixture of shyness and determination.

But it didn’t end there.

The girl took several deep breaths, mustered her courage and spoke again.

“I-I belong to Mr. Jude… Mr. Jude Bayer is mine… No! F*ck! Hey!”

That was it.

Cordelia threw the script she had in her hand onto the floor and then bellowed at the
watching Jude.

“Hey! You evil b*stard! What’s with the script?!”

She could overlook ‘my beloved Mr. Jude Bayer.’

Yes, she could somehow understand the ‘I can’t live without Jude.’

Because its purpose was to protect Jude from Adelia.

But what about the next?

“Am I yours? Am I yours?”

It was just some words in the script, but it was difficult to say them.

How am I supposed to say this in front of others!

“Woah, woah. Relax, relax.”

“Wurf-wurf! Grrrrrr! Wurf!”

“No, what am I supposed to do when you’re cute even if you’re angry.”

“What?”

“No, anyway. It’s actually fair. You’re not one-sidedly saying that you are mine, you’re
saying that I am yours too, right?”

The script’s contents were indeed fair.

When Jude spoke with a calm face, Cordelia hesitated for a moment, but she
eventually wasn’t fooled.

“No! I don’t give a damn about fairness! What’s with that script?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Everything’s a problem from start to finish!”

“Ei, what are you talking about? Now, now, take a deep breath and think.”

“What am I supposed to think?”

“Think about the past. Do you remember when you first acted?”

“Roughly.”

“I remember it clearly. It was this line back then.”

Having said that, Jude cleared his throat once and then said in a feigned voice as if
reciting a poem.

“I-I want to spend some time alone with Mr. Jude! We’ll be back before dinner, so just
wait! Don’t worry about us!”

“Ah.”

It came across her mind again.

When they went on an outdoor date to get Solari’s Necklace from Leisegang.

‘I-It’s still okay.’

It was okay. She could endure it if it was this much.

But it was actually not over yet.

“After that, it was something like this.”

Jude cleared his throat and then said in a slightly more charming voice than before.

“I-I want to go with my beloved Mr. Jude Bayer. I-I don’t want to be separated from
hi-him!”

“Ugeueu…”

Cordelia’s face turned red. No, it was not only her face as her neck and ears were red
too.

But unfortunately, this wasn’t the end.

“I’m going on a honeymoon trip with my beloved Mr. Bayer. We’ll be back in a few
days, so please don’t bother looking for us, okay?”

“Uwaaa…”

Cordelia unconsciously let out a crying sound from her mouth as she covered her
face with both of her hands.

Her legs weakened and she even sank to her knees.

“And then I left a letter like this: I will further continue my honeymoon trip with
Lady Cordelia, whom I dearly love more than my life. Please do not worry too much,
because I’ve gotten healthier from eating the Sunflower. P.S. I am really happy now.”

“S-stop…”

“For your information, that was what you ordered me to do. You loved it so much.”

What he said was true.

She remembered that she eventually ordered Jude to do it once and that she really
loved it.

Why did I do that?

Why did I do that on that day?

Cordelia who was squatting on the floor let out a troubled voice while Jude had such
a pleasant look on his face. He then concluded his recap of the events with a happy
smile.

“So, now that you’ve heard it, don’t you agree that the intensity has been growing
stronger little by little? You could say that there’s progress in our relationship.
Therefore, shouldn’t we go a little further this time?”

What he said was reasonable.

What he said made sense.

But!

But even if that is so!

“Aaaaaaah…”

She felt like she wanted to quickly stand up and hit Jude, but she didn’t have the
energy to do that.

The current situation had been too stimulating for a girl who only had a lover in the
games that she played for certain periods of time.

Thus, Jude approached Cordelia and gently said.

“Umm… anyway, wouldn’t this be enough to stop Adelia?”

What he said was true.

In the first place, the reason why they were rehearsing the script was to stop Adelia.

Adelia was Cordelia’s older sister. She was also an older sister who really cares about
Cordelia, so if Cordelia extremely loved Jude, it was highly likely that she would
concede even if she didn’t like it.

It was said that parents have a soft spot for their children.

‘In this case, it’s about an older sister and her younger sister.’
In any case, Jude waited for Cordelia to recover. After she had slightly recovered,
Cordelia began hitting Jude in the back.

“Ugeu! Uu!”

“You should calm down and speak in human language first, okay?”

Perhaps this was a side effect of Beast Mode.

Jude half-jokingly said, and Cordelia pinched Jude before taking a deep breath.

She stood up from her spot and shouted.

“Okay, I’ll let everything go! I understand!”

To protect Jude from Adelia!

I’ll say stronger lines than before to show the progress of our relationship!

I’ll let everything go.

I somehow understand.

But why!

“W-why is Violent Avalanche here!”

As Cordelia pointed to the corner of the tent and shouted, the being involved –
Violent Avalanche, was sitting in the corner and watching Jude and Cordelia’s skit.
The wild god then nodded and said.

“That’s right. I also wanted to ask. Why are you showing me this? I have to admit that
it’s cute though.”

Upon hearing the word ‘cute’, the cheeks of Cordelia who had just calmed down
turned red again. On the other hand, Jude spoke with a calm face.

“Because she needs to be able to do it naturally in front of others.”

“No, I think you don’t need to practice about your relationship.”

Violent Avalanche had no idea of the true relationship between Jude and Cordelia,
and their current practice had seriously made Violent Avalanche feel out of place.
Apart from that, Violent Avalanche doubted the necessity of the practice itself.

‘Isn’t it obvious that they’re a crazy couple?’

The couple were so perfectly compatible that one might think that they were born
for each other.

“Well, anyway, let’s take a break.”

“Uuuu… do I have to do it again?”

“You have to do it again. You have to get used to it.”

At Jude’s words, Cordelia nodded with drooping shoulders.

She was so embarrassed that her head grew feverish and her normal thinking
became somewhat difficult.

Regardless, the strangely quiet Cordelia sat down on her bed and Jude spoke again
after turning to Violent Avalanche.

“Violent Avalanche, how is the establishment of the Eastern Alliance?”

“It’s a serious topic all of a sudden.”

The topic suddenly came in, but it was necessary to talk about it.

It had been two days since Red Wind got the Phoenix.

Violent Avalanche walked to the front of the bed and stretched its arms, and Cordelia
lifted up Violent Avalanche and sat it on the bed.

“Huu… that’s good. Anyway, about that, it’s going faster than I thought.”

There were three wild gods involved so the establishment of the Eastern Alliance
was initially progressing quite fast. It was then accelerated by the addition of what
happened to the Golden Dragon King, which was a recent news brought by Jude and
Cordelia.
“Because the west is already contaminated and there was also a request from the
Golden Dragon King… The wild gods who were very hesitant and evasive have also
began to move forward. Perhaps when this Karaval is over, a strong Eastern Alliance
would be established that is centered on one tribe, which would either be the Great
Storm tribe or the Blade Song tribe.”

At Violent Avalanche’s explanation, Jude’s eyes narrowed.

“Then the scale of this Karaval would probably be bigger than originally planned.”

“Yes, you’re right. The basic one-on-one battle of Red Wind and Sun Song would
remain the same, but the number and quality of the audience would be different.
Most of the tribal chiefs of the east would probably get together to watch the Karaval
this time.”

They would be here to discuss the establishment of the Eastern Alliance and not just
to watch a fight.

Jude asked Violent Avalanche again.

“Is there any response from the west? I think that your side don’t know much on
what’s going on there either.”

“It’s not like we don’t have spies there, so we at least know a little about it. We’re also
keeping a close eye on the events in the west. However… our judgment is that they
seemed to be more preoccupied with the complete unification of the west. The
Angry Bull tribe is currently preoccupied with their military expedition on the west.”

In other words, they hadn’t taken measures against the eastern side because they
were preoccupied with the unification of the western side.

‘It’s understandable.’

Everything that they had done in the east so far was close to a small-scale covert
operation.

“But Violent Avalanche.”

Cordelia finally recovered while their conversation went back and forth, so she
raised her hand and asked. Violent Avalanche accepted her question with a smile.
“Yes, what are you curious about?”

“You said earlier that most of the tribal chiefs would be gathering.”

“I did.”

“Then would the wild gods also be gathered?”

Jude and Cordelia did not know much about the wild gods’ existence until they had
come to the wild lands.

But it was different now.

By personally meeting Great Storm, they learned that wild gods exist. And when they
met Violent Avalanche, they found out that the monsters in the original whom they
thought to be monsters from hell were actually the corrupted wild gods.

‘Wild gods protected the tribes.’

The tribesmen greatly respected the will of the wild gods they served, as could be
seen in the case of Gentle Snow Breeze and Great Storm.

In short, the will of the wild gods rather than the will of the tribal chiefs were more
important in the establishment of the Eastern Alliance.

Violent Avalanche roughly understood the meaning of Cordelia’s question, but it

smiled and shook its head.

“Most of the wild gods would probably not participate. Each wild god has its own
sanctuary and living in it is basic for us. An example right now would be Gentle Snow
Breeze who made an alliance with Great Storm but still lives in her sanctuary in the
basin.”

Thus, the other wild gods would be more focused on protecting their sanctuaries at
the present moment.

“Then what about Violent Avalanche?”

Wild Avalanche was also a wild god, but it was staying in Great Storm’s land.
At Cordelia’s question, Jude slightly turned his glance away while Violent Avalanche
indignantly shouted.

“You two destroyed it! You two!”

My sanctuary! My rocky mountain!

Of course, Violent Avalanche’s rocky mountain did not completely collapse, as half of
it still remained.

“Ahem, ahem, moving on, Violent Avalanche will be watching the Karaval then.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

When Violent Avalanche grumbled and answered, Cordelia felt sorry, so she hugged
the wild god who did not refuse the beautiful girl’s touch.

“Ahem, ahem.”

The combination of a bear cub and a beautiful girl was really nice to look at, but Jude
was somehow uncomfortable with it, so he cleared his throat and then pulled Violent
Avalanche’s hand before speaking.

“On another note, there’s not much time left until the Karaval.”

“Yes, but I believe in Red Wind. She got the Phoenix and isn’t she also practicing
really hard now?”

Violent Avalanche was right.

Red Wind’s growth had been explosive after obtaining the Phoenix.

In addition, Jude and Cordelia’s customized teachings for her had been increasing
her winning rate at Karaval day by day.

‘Cordelia is teaching Red Wind’s unique combat method with the flame spirit.’

Because the character Yellow Storm played the most after Cordelia was Red Wind.

Moreover, Cordelia was better than Jude when it came to battle skills, so he
completely entrusted Red Wind’s growth to Cordelia.

‘My task is to take the role of her opponent, Sun Song.’

Jude had memorized all of Sun Song’s combat patterns.

Of course, what Jude had memorized were the combat patterns of the corrupted Sun
Song. However, only Sun Song’s temperament and personality had changed when he
was corrupted, so it was highly likely that his basic physical skills remained the
same.

‘She’ll learn how to fight from Cordelia and then have a mock battle with me who can
fight like Sun Song.’

It was the best training method they could do for her right now.

‘But time is running out too.’

There were only four days left until the Karaval – essentially, that was a little over
three days.

‘Will she make it on time?’

‘She will make it.’

Jude exchanged glances with Cordelia before he nodded once and turned to Violent
Avalanche.

When he met eyes with Violent Avalanche, the wild god suddenly clapped its hands,
jumped off the bed and said.

“Ah, come to think of it, there’s something that I have to tell you.”

“Something to tell us?”

They had just talked about the establishment of the Eastern Alliance, but was there
something else they had to talk about too?

When Violent Avalanche saw Jude and Cordelia’s curious eyes, the wild god had a
little evil – no, a happy smile and said.
“Your older brother and sister will arrive in two days.”

Gael and Adelia would be returning after their vain efforts in going to Raptor Canyon.

They were coming to meet Jude and Cordelia.

They were coming to apprehend the two!

“Eueueueu…”

Cordelia tightly shut her eyes while Jude held Cordelia’s hand.

Though he had made fun of Cordelia, Jude was also nervous when he thought about
meeting them in person.

But it was their inevitable fate.

Four days left until the Karaval.

Two days left until the invasion of their older brother and sister.

The night grew late.

***

It was a particularly sunny day.

Jude and Cordelia stood side by side on the pure white snowfield as they looked into
the distance but didn’t find anyone.

Two days after hearing about the situation from Violent Avalanche…

That day had finally arrived.

“Huu… huu…”

Cordelia took some deep breaths as her cheeks were stiff from tension.

Jude asked as he glanced at Cordelia.

“Are you nervous?”

“I am nervous.”

“It’s all right, you have me.”

“I’m nervous because of you, okay?”

She had to protect Jude from Adelia.

“Huu… huu…”

Cordelia took some deep breaths again before clenching her teeth and straightening
her posture.

Jude also straightened his posture like Cordelia and then looked straight ahead.

“They’re coming.”

The two saw the other side.

Gael and Adelia finally appeared.

Gael Bayer and Adelia Chase.

The two did not have any large roles in the second episode of Legend of Heroes.

‘Because both Gael and Adelia were killed in battle.’

The fate of the two did not change much whether it was on the Jude route or the
Cordelia route.

Gael was killed during the Northern Barbarians’ Great Invasion event while Adelia
was caught and lost her life in the ‘Salen Kingdom’s Capital Destruction event’ that
would happen a little more later.

Such were the fate of those two.

‘So I actually don’t know much about them.’

Because he didn’t have many chances to meet them in the game.

All he knew about Gael was that he was good-natured, talented, and an older brother
who had a huge age gap with Jude – that was all that he knew. As for Adelia, all he
knew was that she was a mother-like older sister who cared for her younger sister
Cordelia.

‘Of course, I was able to build a rough profile of the two by compiling various pieces
of information that came out in the game.’

Even so, he had very little absolute information about the two.

‘But it’s different now.’

They suddenly became Jude and Cordelia one day – no, Outboxer009 and Yellow
Storm did not take over the bodies of the two.
They were reincarnated as Jude and Cordelia and spent seventeen years before they
awakened the memories of their previous lives.

Therefore, Jude knew well about Gael, and Cordelia knew well about Adelia.

‘My older brother.’

He was his genuine sibling and no longer a simple NPC.

‘He’s kind, sincere, and reliable, but in fact, he has a delicate side too.’

Despite being the eldest son of a famous family from the very beginning, there was
one reason why he was still not married.

That one reason.

An incident that Gael went through when he was 20 years old.

Jude stopped thinking about it and shifted his gaze a little to the side.

He could see a brave woman proudly walking in precise steps from afar towards
them.

‘Adelia Chase.’

A genius wizard who held the title of the youngest head in the history of the Royal
Guard Magic Corps.

He had spent 17 years as Jude, but he knew little about her.

In the first place, Jude wasn’t even close with Cordelia in the past before they
awakened their previous lives.

He had never met Cordelia’s older sister who was in the royal capital.

‘But something… there has to be a reason, right?’

For Cordelia to be so cautious and nervous.

“Huu… huu… I can do it. I can do it. Protect. Protect.”

Cordelia repeated the same words in a small voice, as if she was reciting a spell.

She seemed to be strengthening her resolve in her own way.

‘Cute.’

How could she be not cute when he could see that she was trying to protect him and
not anyone else?

“Okay, okay, okay.”

Cordelia took several deep breaths again before she stepped forward and stood as if
to hide Jude. It was a position that Jude often did to protect Cordelia, but it was the
exact opposite this time.

There was naturally a difference.

Cordelia was taller than Jude before they had awakened their memories, but not
now. That had been completely reversed in just a few months, and there was now
quite a large difference between Jude and Cordelia.

It was impossible to completely hide Jude with Cordelia’s small and slender body, but
she still puffed out her chest, stretched out her arms, and hid Jude as she took a deep
breath for the last time.

She kept her composure and looked straight ahead.

And upon looking at the back of Cordelia’s head, Jude happily smiled and then raised
his head as he suddenly recoiled.

‘Adelia.’

Their distance had been narrowed quite a bit, so they could now see the other side’s
faces.

Unlike Cordelia who had red hair like Count Chase, Adelia inherited their mother’s
blond hair.

She had a white complexion and bright golden hair that seemed to be made by
melting the sun. She was beautiful like Cordelia, but her eyes… her fierce eyes were
no joke.

Ba-thump, ba-thump, ba-thump, ba-thump-

It felt like he was under heavy pressure.

As he continued hearing the sound of his heartbeat as if it was an auditory

hallucination, Jude gulped his saliva. Drops of sweat trickled down his tightly
clenched fists.

He was tense.

She was someone who could make the person facing her feel fear.

Was this how he felt when he fought against the named demon Bandaizel at
Endymion?

He could now understand why Cordelia was very nervous.

“Finally.”

Adelia spoke.

A beautiful yet terrifying smile spread out on her white face.

Jude Bayer.

The crystallization of evil who sweet talked, deceived, committed acts of brutality,
and even lured the kind, cute, adorable, lovely, and innocent Cordelia into making
wrong choices!

‘Finally!’

They faced each other.

The moment where she could let out her anger finally came.

“You!”

Adelia raised her voice first. She raised up her hand to point at Jude before she tried
to spill out her words.

“You kidnapped by deceiving my kind, cute, adorable, lovely, and innocent Cordelia…”

That was it.

Adelia’s words trailed off in the end. Because she had felt Gael’s gaze behind her
back.

It was just a gaze.

He didn’t exactly glare. He just gazed at her.

But Adelia unknowingly faltered. She couldn’t say what she was originally going to
say.

“No, your elopement…”

Elopement.

That was not it. That was not what she originally wanted to say.

Adelia frowned as she was distressed for a while before she changed her words
again.

“Honeymoon trip! Anyway, about your honeymoon trip!”

Her words were already a huge mess.

‘Eueueu, why am I doing this?’

Why can’t I say what I wanted to say?

After all, Jude and Cordelia were already engaged and the Bayer family was a famous
family that stood in equal rank with the Chase family, so she couldn’t just
thoughtlessly say rude words to him.

But Gael’s presence was greater than that.

Gael might be bothered so she couldn’t say anything that was too harsh.
‘No, it’s not. That’s not it.’

When Adelia groaned in her confusion and distress, Jude and Cordelia stared at
Adelia in suspicion.

‘What’s wrong with her?’

‘Something, there’s something different from my usual sister.’

Why?

Why is she doing that?

“Ack! Anyway! Jude Bayer! You know what you’ve done, right?!”

After her compromise, the words she spoke out were not as harsh as she thought.

Moreover, her terrifying aura and energy that resembled a demon from hell also
disappeared, and her angry voice felt a little more like she was begging.

But it looked a little different to Cordelia.

She knew best about Adelia one way or another, so she flinched at her sister’s words
and then shouted with her arms stretched out widely to the side.

“I-It’s not Jude’s fault!”

“Cordelia?!”

“It’s true! I definitely wasn’t deceived… We-we discussed it together!”

What?

You discussed the honeymoon trip together!

Adelia flinched at Cordelia’s argument, but she soon took another step and shouted.

“Then the letter! You wrote that you love Jude sooo much that you’re head over heels
with him! Are you saying that you purposely wrote down all that? It wasn’t Jude’s
order?”
“Uwuwuwu…”

If Cordelia had a little more reason left, she could have refuted that she had never
written anything like that, but she had already been cornered from the start.

She groaned in distress and then shouted with a face that seemed to say ‘whatever.’

“That’s right! I wrote that! I wrote all that! That’s what I wrote!”

It was correct that Jude had originally ordered her to do so.

Jude was the one who gave her all those lines!

Cordelia’s face turned red, and her neck and ears were burning red too.

It was a result of her embarrassment and shame, but Adelia’s filter interpreted her
reaction as shyness and her blushing as embarrassment.

“Co-Cordelia!”

But it wasn’t over yet.

It had already happened.

So to perfectly defend him, Cordelia dealt the final blow.

“I-I… c-can’t live without J-Jude! I belong to Jude and Jude is mine!”

It was the lines that were written in the script which she had thrown last time.

Cordelia was so embarrassed that her eyes were slightly reddened with tears, but in
the eyes of Adelia, she looked like she was pleading while crying.

“Co-Cordelia…”

She seriously turned pale in surprise.

Adelia staggered for a moment, but she was still one of the seven heads of the Royal
Guard Magic Corps.
She somehow corrected her posture, and then said after taking a deep breath.

“No, no, he’s weak and only has a handsome face…”

That was it.

Adelia was trying to speak about what she usually thought about Jude, but her words
trailed off in the end.

It wasn’t because of Gael this time.

It was just because of the visible reality.

‘W-what?’

Jude Bayer.

A child born with Gueumjulmaek.

A sick but handsome boy who was stuck in his room and couldn’t learn
swordsmanship because he had a weak constitution.

But it was not what she saw.

The Jude in front of her was definitely a handsome boy, but he did not look weak and
frail.

‘When and how did he get so well?’

Adelia had also heard of him obtaining Solari’s Necklace and using it to heal his
Gueumjulmaek.

But how can that make his body so well all of a sudden?

First and foremost, he was tall.

According to the information Adelia herself gathered, Jude was about the same or a
little shorter than Cordelia. But Jude was now much taller. There seemed to be a
difference of at least ten centimeters.
And he was bulky.

He didn’t exactly have bulging muscles, but he had broad shoulders and firm muscles
too.

Although Jude was dressed up quite a bit because of the snowy weather, Adelia had
met numerous knights in the royal capital for business purposes.

Just by looking at his fit, she could roughly tell the shape and thickness of the
muscles.

‘It’s firm.’

His muscles were well-honed and firm, and not the bulging kind.

It was almost at the level of Lord Gael – No, his was less than Gael’s, but anyway, his
bulky body couldn’t make her speak or even joke about him being nothing but skin
and bones.

‘Something, I need to say something, but I can’t.’

In the first place, it was difficult for her to say anything because Gael’s gaze was on
her.

Adelia couldn’t say anything because there was nothing bad she could say about
Jude.

And Jude did not miss the current situation.

While Adelia was struggling in embarrassment and Cordelia was out of breath from
her own struggle, Jude dug into that gap.

He grabbed her.

Jude took a step forward and held the shoulder of Cordelia who was standing as if to
protect him.

He pulled her towards himself, and Cordelia who found herself in Jude’s arms was
suddenly embarrassed in a different sense than before.
‘Ju-Jude?’

Cordelia had already been accustomed to being hugged or carried by Jude.

But it was strange.

She didn’t care until now whether he hugged or carried her, but she was feeling
strange now.

Ba-thump, ba-thump.

Her heart suddenly began to beat faster.

As she looked up at Jude, her cheeks burned red in a different sense than before.

‘W-what is this. It’s strange.’

Cordelia unknowingly became calm as she kept her head down, while Jude tightly
hugged Cordelia and then opened his mouth.

“Lady Adelia.”

Adelia reacted to her name being called.

Jude faced her blue eyes that stared straight at him before he said without any
hesitation.

“Cordelia and I are in love with each other.”

There was a twitch.

It was Cordelia.

She had flinched before she reflexively raised her head to look at Jude and tried to
shout with her gaze.

‘W-who! You and me?’

‘You and I. Just accept it for now. Adelia is watching, so act natural, okay? It would be
easier if you give up.’
‘Uwuwuwu… ’

Cordelia quieted down as she bowed her head again, but in Adelia and Gael’s eyes,
Cordelia’s appearance seemed to be her shy affirmation.

“It was definitely wrong for us to go on a honeymoon trip. Yes, it was my fault too.
Cordelia did nothing wrong. She was just following my unreasonable desire to spend
a little more time alone with her.”

Adelia looked slightly dispirited at Jude’s desperate-sounding words, and Cordelia

raised her head again.

Because his words had taken a strange turn.

“N-no! It’s not Jude’s fault! I’m the one who said that we should go! Yes, yes! It’s
because I’ve been begging him that I wanted some time alone with him. I even left a
letter, right?”

She had decided to protect Jude from Adelia, but she couldn’t let it all be Jude’s fault.

In fact, there was no need for Cordelia to do this due to the current atmosphere, but
as her face became heated because of the series of events, it became difficult for her
to think normally.

Either way, Cordelia’s declaration was effective.

A boy and girl who were begging that they should be punished instead of the other
and insisting that that it was their own fault and not the other.

Anyone could obviously tell that they were in love with each other to the point that
they would resort to lies.

“Uuugh…”

Adelia groaned before she deeply sighed in the end.

She had really wanted to crush Jude, but now that she had come this far, she couldn’t
do it.

What could she do when Cordelia said that she really loved him?
And in fact, Adelia understood it.

The fact that she couldn’t do much when they actually meet each other.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Just then.

Gael who had been silent until now, cleared his throat and drew everyone’s
attention. He then stepped forward and stood next to Adelia.

He didn’t use his hand like how Jude hugged Cordelia in his arms, but he simply
stood next to Adelia.

Adelia looked captivated and felt reassured at his support, but in the eyes of Jude and
Cordelia who were watching the two, the thought that ‘maybe’ came into their
minds.

“Jude, and Lady Cordelia.”

“Yes, brother.”

“Yes, brother-in-law.”

Jude and Cordelia quickly responded.

Gael smiled at being called ‘brother-in-law’ before he said.

“I’ve learned in many ways about the activities of you two while on the way here. I
could also see with my own eyes how much the two of you care and love each other.”

At Gael’s words, Jude nodded but Cordelia was mentally shaking her head to the
sides.

‘No, it’s not like that.’

Her reason had somewhat returned, so her reaction was a subconscious opposition.

But anyway, she was just mentally shaking her head in denial.
Gael warmly exchanged glances with Jude before he took a deep breath. He then
spoke with a rather stern face unlike before.

“But the actions of you two were clearly wrong. The disrespect you inflicted on
Count Hræsvelgr was so great that it might be hard to be forgiven. You should know
well that it also greatly hurt Lord Lucas who considered you two as his friends,
right?”

When Lucas was mentioned, both Jude and Cordelia had apologetic faces.

And Gael was pleased with their reaction.

“That’s not all. Because of your actions, our Bayer family and even the Chase family
were struck with bad rumors.”

Because there were groups of people who criticized and ridiculed the families on
how they educated their children.

Shame and guilt spread on Jude and Cordelia’s faces after they felt sorry, and Gael’s
expression became even more strict.

“Of course, we should listen to your circumstances, but apart from that, there are
many things that have happened because of what you two have done. And the
responsibility for all that lies on you two.”

Gael wasn’t angry.

He didn’t even raise his voice.

But Gael’s words had some weight.

“Let’s assume responsibility when we return. Instead of running away or avoiding it,
you two should fix what you have done. Do you understand?”

“Yes, brother.”

“Yes, brother-in-law.”

When Jude and Cordelia obediently replied, a smile spread on the strict Gael’s face
again.
Having reverted to his usual expression, he affectionately looked at Jude and
Cordelia who stood side by side before he spoke.

“I am relieved though. Both of you are safe. I was very worried.”

It was a carrot after a stick.

No, he wasn’t such a calculative person.

Gael’s pure heart deeply moved the two, especially Cordelia.

And one more person.

‘As expected, he’s nice. He’s the right person.’

A smile spread over Adelia’s face as she gazed at Gael’s profile.

Her face loosened and she smiled as if she was looking at Cordelia.

“Lady Adelia.”

“Yes?”

“Erm… Lady Adelia?”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

Adelia flinched in surprise and she straightened her posture, making Gael smile
before he said to Jude and Cordelia again.

“Lady Adelia was very worried about the safety of you two. To the point where her
emotions became intense. So how about thanking her properly?”

Adelia and the two had been at odds as soon as they met each other.

At Gael’s words, Cordelia opened her mouth first.

“U-unnie. Thank you. And I’m sorry.”

“Sorry and thank you.”

Adelia felt awkward when Cordelia and Jude bowed to her, but she was happy at the
same time.

She would have never heard of this if only she herself had come.

“Because you were very worried.”

As Gael smiled and said in a low voice, Adelia’s lips curled up and she slightly
nodded.

And upon seeing her cheeks evidently changing color though it was light, Jude and
Cordelia reacted.

‘Wait a minute, is this perhaps that?’

‘Perhaps?’

Jude and Cordelia’s eyes narrowed, and Cordelia opened her mouth again this time.

“Unnie.”

Just one word.

But because of her guilty conscience, Adelia flinched at that word and said in a
fluster.

“I-it’s nothing! There’s nothing between Lord Gael and me! I-isn’t that right, Lord
Gael?”

Her actions only made their suspicions deepen rather than stopping it. At the same
time, her reaction proved that Adelia had the blood of Count Chase like Cordelia.

And at this moment, Gael also proved that he was a man of Count Bayer, who had the
same blood as Jude.

“Is there… nothing between us?”

Adelia flinched at his unexpected remark.

No, why is he suddenly saying that?

I don’t hate it, uh, I certainly don’t hate it.

“N-no, that…”

Adelia’s face turned red, and her heart was pounding so hard that she stuttered and
couldn’t speak properly. And upon seeing that, the warmth in Jude and Cordelia’s
eyes subsided.

‘I see, so it was like that.’

‘Hehehe.’

Their eyes had cooled down in the same way, but their reactions were a little
different.

Jude felt like he was really like his brother, while Cordelia was still going ‘hehehe.’

“Anyway, instead of standing and talking like this, let’s go inside and talk. I’m sure we
have a lot to talk about.”

Gael didn’t push ahead. He stealthily retreated and smoothly resolved the situation.

“Let’s go, Lady Adelia.”

“Yes, Lord Gael.”

With her shyness being twice than usual, Adelia answered and cleared her throat
before she walked with Gael, while Jude watched the two and struggled in holding
back his laughter before he stepped forward. Or more like, he tried to step forward.

‘Jude.’

‘Yes?’

‘Can you let me go now that it’s over?’

‘No, not yet. Adelia can still see us.’

Adelia could obviously see them, but she was so embarrassed, shy, and so on, that it
was questionable if she could see them properly.
‘Hehehe.’

‘Anyway, let’s go. You’ll get used to it.’

Jude walked while holding Cordelia on her shoulder, and Cordelia moved along with
him.

Thus, the two couples left the place.

Even though they were together from the beginning to the end, the fifth party felt
like an outcast as it got up from its seat and brushed its butt.

“If they’re going to be like this, why did they have to call me? Right?”

The fifth party was Violent Avalanche.

Complaining as it vented its thoughts to no one, the wild god looked in the direction
Jude and Cordelia were heading.

After it shrugged its shoulders, the bear cub began walking like a toddler.
The two men from the Bayer family and the two women from the Chase family
gathered inside Jude and Cordelia’s love nest.

T/N: Puns are back. ‘Love’ can also mean ‘guest/reception room,’ while ‘nest’ can also
mean ‘home.’ Combine the two and it would also mean the house’s reception room.

‘Why are we seating like this?’

‘Well, just trust me. Just think like it’s part of our act.’

Anyway, the group had sat down.

The Great Storm tribe had a culture of sitting on the floor using cushions and not on
chairs, so the two pairs were sitting while facing each other with a fire pit in between
them.

‘This isn’t strange.’

Because Jude and Cordelia sat beside each other and Gael and Adelia sat next to each
other.

Jude and Cordelia were still in a shoulder hug even when they were seated, while
Gael and Adelia sat side-by-side but were not that close to each other.

They were just at a proper distance from the other.

“Hehehe, hehehe.”

Cordelia leaned her body on Jude’s side as she mischievously looked at Adelia and
Gael.

She had already forgotten the series of actions Jude had done earlier that made her
heart pound as she had now focused all her senses on Adelia and Gael.
And it wasn’t really strange.

‘Because I’m used to it.’

Cordelia had been carried by Jude on his arms or his back almost every day since
they entered the barbarian lands, so she was accustomed to it already.

“Hehehe, hehehe.”

The Cordelia who was afraid of Adelia’s arrival was nowhere to be found.

The only person sitting here now was a younger sister who had a cat’s mouth and
mischievous eyes as she let out strange sounds that seemed to say, ‘I see, so that’s
what it was.’

“Ueueueu…”

She was indeed Cordelia’s older sister.

Adelia was still blushing and groaning while she sat. She couldn’t even look at Gael’s
side and just kept staring at the ground.

‘She’s shaking.’

Her heart and mind were shaking.

Jude’s guess was right. The events that had just happened were playing over and
over again in Adelia’s mind in a beautified manner due to being blinded by love.

‘Is there… nothing between us?’

His gloomy eyes had looked sad and heartbroken, yet his voice and expression
seemed to say that he didn’t want to give up expecting.

‘Why are you like this, why are you doing this to me? Uwaaa… ’

She did not let out a voice, but her reactions were really like Cordelia’s.

‘Adelia Chase.’
Cordelia’s older sister.

One of the seven heads of the Royal Guards Magic Corps.

A genius wizard who fully inherited Count Chase’s talents.

She was high-handed, hot-tempered, and even had violent tendencies, but-

‘She really is Cordelia’s older sister.’

She was absolutely pretty.

Unlike Cordelia’s vivid red hair, her golden hair that seemed to shine even if it was
not fluttering, was beautiful in itself. And her fair complexion and fierce eyes gave
her a sharp and urban beauty.

Furthermore, her cheeks were red from embarrassment and she was at a loss on
what to do.

Thanks to her unusual appearance, she was now exuding on what was called ‘gap
moe.’

‘Hmm, but Cordelia is still better.’

Because Cordelia was more beautiful than Adelia, and she was even lovely.

Jude gave a subjective opinion that was completely unobjective. He then nodded a
few times to himself before turning his gaze towards Gael.

‘Did he… overcome it?’

The reason why the eldest son and undeniable heir of Count Bayer was still not
married in his late twenties.

He didn’t know it when he was Outboxer009, but he now knew when he was
reincarnated as Jude Bayer.

The incident that happened to Gael.

The incident that made Gael stop thinking about marriage and devote himself to
training for some time.

It was an incident that he could not overcome in the original story. No, perhaps he
was ready to overcome it, but the tragedy of the barbarians’ great invasion in the
north robbed him of that opportunity.

‘Older brother.’

He was Jude Bayer’s own brother and not just a supporting character of Legend of
Heroes 2.

He was looking at the embarrassed Adelia with a warm smile.

He was sitting calmly, but Jude could tell.

Gael’s earlobes were slightly red. He was somehow embarrassed like Adelia too.

‘But still.’

The way he looked at Adelia was really that of love.

Do I have such a loving look when I gaze at Cordelia?

“Hehehe, hehehe.”

Jude quickly looked back at Cordelia who was still giggling and letting out a silly
snicker as she watched Adelia.

In any case, they had to proceed with their conversation now.

“Ahem, ahem.”

When Jude cleared his throat, Gael and Cordelia shifted their gazes to Jude.

Adelia was still staring at the ground, but she seemed to have heard him given that
she had flinched.

“Moving on… let’s continue our conversation.”

Because they had a lot of things that they really needed to talk about.
“You’re right, Jude. Let’s start with you. Did you become Iron Man Landius’ disciple?
And I heard that you became involved with the Guardians of the Holy Cross. Can you
tell me when it all began?”

Because the two were not involved with the Guardians of the Holy Cross until the
time they had left Langesthei.

At Gael’s calm comment, Adelia also stared at Jude and Cordelia after having
recovered to some extent, and Cordelia also looked back at Jude.

‘Are you going to tell them that?’

‘Yes, I am.’

After their eye conversation, Jude cleared his throat again and began talking.

“It all started when we met the Fairy Queen.”

To summarize, Jude’s story was as follows.

The Fairy Queen warned them of the demon followers’ attack at Langesthei, and also
informed them of the witch.

After the incident in Langesthei, they headed to the witch’s forest to meet the witch’s
soul. They then heard a warning about Landius and the demon followers’ atrocities
that were happening across the northern borders.

On their way to Count Hræsvelgr’s territory, they met Landius and Jude became his
disciple. They finally made a decision at that time too.

“Did you mean about your decision to go north and stop the demon followers?”

“Yes, brother.”

But it was a story with very little evidence.

Moreover, Count Hræsvelgr was trying to prevent Jude and Cordelia from leaving
Vedrfolnir.

Therefore, Jude and Cordelia were forced to escape Vedrfolnir using a honeymoon
trip as an excuse.

“After that…”

On their way to the north, they headed to Frost Anvil to cure Jude’s illness, and while
obtaining the Sunflower there, they ended up facing the demon followers.

“Because of that, I was convinced that something was going on in the barbarian
lands – no, the wild lands.”

They crossed the border via Lankebuste after that, and in the middle of that, they
met the Ghostblade Kamael.

“I’m sure you already know what happened after that.”

They became the guardians of the wild lands who busied themselves in stopping the
plot of the group of demon followers called Devil’s Eye from undermining the wild
lands.

“As expected… it wasn’t a simple runaway… no, I mean, an elopement.”

“I was immature and couldn’t come up with other excuses. Like you’ve said, we’ve
troubled a lot of people.”

When Jude made a sad expression, Gael felt sorry for him while Cordelia stealthily
nudged him in the ribs.

‘Do you think it worked?’

‘Of course.’

He was the one who created this story after all.

With a very faint smile that only Cordelia could see, Jude spoke again as he looked
again at Gael and Adelia.

“Older brother and Lady Adelia. Once the demon followers seize the wild lands, there
will be a big war between the north and the barbarians again. That alone must be
stopped.”
“You’re right. Moreover… as I traveled around this land myself, my thoughts changed
a little. Perhaps we were too prejudiced against the barbarians.”

But that was just it.

The Salen Kingdom and the barbarians in the barbarian lands have already
confronted each other many times in the past, and all of those confrontations were
not the plots of the demon followers.

It was clear that those who lived in the wild lands were not beasts in human form
but were humans too like those who lived in the northern part of the Salen Kingdom
themselves, and as such, the kingdom’s citizens did not harbor wild fantasies about
that fact.

In the first place, the Argon Empire were humans too, but they were at odds with the
Salen Kingdom too.

“I will help Lady Cordelia and Jude. What about you, Lady Adelia?”

Gael clearly and decisively revealed his intentions and then asked Adelia, who
replied after taking a deep breath.

“I will help too. Because it is for the defense of the kingdom.”

After all, she was one of the seven leaders of the Royal Guard Magic Corps.

The current situation had changed from a personal matter of catching a runaway
younger sister while on her vacation to a public one for the defense of the kingdom,
so it was natural for her to step forward as she was a public official of the kingdom.

“Thank you, Unnie.”

“Hmph, I’m not doing this specifically for you.”

“Hehehe.”

At the appearance of Cordelia and Adelia talking like Count Chase, Jude and Gael
happily smiled.

“And Jude.”
“Yes, brother.”

“Maybe it’s not just us.”

At Gael’s words, Jude and Cordelia tilted their heads together.

It wasn’t just Gael and Adelia.

What were they talking about?

“No, how should I say it… we did something like a runaway too.”

“Run… away?”

“Because we intentionally cut off contact with our families in order to cross the
border.”

“Because it’s obvious that our families would oppose it if we said that we’ll cross the
border after you.”

Adelia remarked following Gael’s words, and the other two looked at each other
before they said something different from the other.

“Just as I thought.”

“Then, is Unnie in a honeymoon trip too?”

“No, it’s not?! It’s not like that!”

Adelia reflexively shouted before she flinched at that moment and looked at Gael.

Gael didn’t say anything, and Adelia said as she fidgeted.

“N-no! What I meant to say is this! That… I’m not saying that there’s nothing
between Lord Gael and I, ah, no… eueueue…”

Adelia eventually self-destructed as she blushed and groaned again, and everyone
who saw Adelia thought.

‘Cute.’
Since when had Adelia been this cute so far?

Everyone warmly looked at Adelia and upon feeling their gazes, Adelia was at a loss
on what to do and repeated the vicious cycle of showing off her cuteness.

The first person to come to his senses was Jude, and he asked while staring at Gael.

“So are you saying that… another person from our families will come to chase us?”

“Yes, that is highly likely.”

People were coming after them one after another.

“However… we do not intend to clearly communicate the current situation to our

families.”

Because they had gone across the border.

It would become cumbersome if their families offered to actively help Jude and his
party.

“Let’s think of asking help from the family as a last resort.”

If the scenario of the wild lands falling into the hands of the demon followers ever
comes, then the whole north might have to take military action at that time.

“I understand.”

“Okay.”

Having said all that, Gael turned his gaze to Cordelia and said to her.

“Lady Adelia and I have already talked about it. We ask for your understanding, Lady
Cordelia.”

“It’s fine, brother-in-law.”

Cordelia modestly replied at the end and widely smiled, and Gael also warmly
smiled.
And one more person.

No, one animal – or rather, one being.

“Are you done?”

At the question of Violent Avalanche who was squatting in the corner of the tent,
Jude and Cordelia nodded their heads while Gael and Adelia were a little
embarrassed.

“Why in the world did you even call me for, why…”

The grumbling Violent Avalanche rose from its seat and sat down again in the middle
as it faced the two couples and said.

“Well, now that you’ve roughly organized everything, we’ll be working together to
defeat the demon followers, right?”

“We need to win the Karaval before that.”

Violent Avalanche nodded at Cordelia’s words.

“Yes, the Karaval.”

It would be held in the next two days and in addition, it would be a single-round
match that would decide the fate of the Eastern Alliance and the whole wild lands.

“Unnie and brother-in-law. I have a favor to ask.”

Because Red Wind needed to become a little stronger in order to win.

And to do that, they also needed the help of Gael and Adelia.

“So…”

Cordelia glanced at Jude before she narrated the conversation the two had the other
day, and Gael and Adelia nodded their heads with serious faces.

And in the middle of that, Violent Avalanche thought alone.

‘So why did you call for me in the end?’

Did they really need me for this meeting?

Either way, the conversation continued, and time also passed.

***

“Let’s go.”

“To the land of Gentle Snow Breeze.”

“To the land of Gentle Snow Breeze.”

All of the barbarian tribes in the east began to move.

From the small tribes with just a hundred people to the large tribes with over tens of
thousands of people.

The tribal chiefs led their warriors to the basin of Gentle Snow Breeze.

To watch the Karaval hosted by the beautiful and wise wild god, Gentle Snow Breeze,
and to witness the history of the formation of the Eastern Alliance that would
influence the future.

“Let’s go.”

Red Gale also led his warriors.

He had to participate in this Karaval even though he had a serious illness and
refrained from going outside.

Great Storm sent off his greatest warrior.

He blessed his greatest warrior’s daughter, the girl who would decide the fate of the
Eastern Alliance.

“Daughter of the wind, be the red and beautiful wind that will freely roam the world.
You can be anything, you’ll be able to do anything.”
Though he had the form of a young boy, he was a wild god who had cared for the
tribe for a long time.

Red Wind accepted Great Storm’s blessings with gratitude. She promised him that
she would do her best.

“Let’s go too.”

At Gael’s words, Adelia was the first to nod while Cordelia mischievously giggled
‘hehehe’ as she pinched Adelia’s side.

And Jude sent his gaze towards the west.

Devil’s Eye.

Haraken, a demon follower who dominated the Angry Bull tribe and the west.

And the mighty demon who killed Count Bayer and Gael in the game.

‘Are we in the second act?’

The confrontation between the east and west.

Karaval would be the beginning of it.

“Jude, Jude. Why are you frowning like that? Are you all right?”

“No, I was just composing myself. Is my princess all right too?”

“I’m fine. Let’s quickly go and stop this nonsense.”

“Okay.”

After completing their usual nonsensical talk, Jude took a step forward and tried to
ignore Adelia who looked at them after hearing Jude say, ‘my princess.’

Together with Cordelia, they headed to the land of Gentle Snow Breeze where the
Karaval would be held.

And at that same time.

Count Chase was writing a letter inside a luxurious lodging in Lankebuste.

The recipient was his long-time friend, Count Bayer, the parent of his soon-to-be
sons-in-law.

The content of his letter was not very long.

Like Count Chase, it only contained a plain explanation.

‘It looks like the children have crossed the border.’

They were not in the north.

They were neither dead nor seriously injured.

Then what remained was the barbarian lands beyond the border.

Count Chase paused his writing for a moment.

He faintly smiled and added one more line.

‘I’ll go and come back.’

This was enough.

Count Chase sealed the letter and wore his red cloak. He held a space expansion bag
that was filled with bags in one hand, and a jeweled staff in the other hand.

“To the north.”

Count Chase left his lodging.

He took a step towards the north.

Terms used in this chapter:

Gap moe – Japanese slang for a person/character who does something completely
contradictory to their usual habits, personality, character, or appearance, which then
makes them look cutely attractive.