43. When Everything Froze (3)
A thousand years had passed since Lisbond stopped functioning as a port city, and now no one called it a port anymore.
It was said that the specialty of Lisbond was dungeons and monsters, and indeed the place was packed with adventurers hoping to strike it rich—
but even so, something called a “dungeon” was not discovered so easily.
Which was why the news that Baek Yuseol had found one was more than enough to make adventurers’ ears perk up.
“Did you hear? Apparently a dungeon was discovered for the first time in ages.”
“Since White Skadia, wasn’t it? It’s been half a year.”
“Dungeons have been dry around here lately too…”
“But they say the discoverer is just a student. Can that be trusted?”
“Didn’t you hear? He’s a Stella student.”
“Oh, then it’s trustworthy.”
Perhaps because Stella’s school uniform alone drastically increased the credibility of a statement, the number of adventurers who had expressed their desire to participate in the dungeon expedition had already passed several dozen overnight.
However, there was one thing even Baek Yuseol had not predicted at all.
“Baek Yuseol, you said?”
“Mm-hmm. That’s what they said. Lisbond Port is right nearby, after all.”
It was that the news had reached the ears of the 13th Annihilation Unit of the Crescent Moon Tower—
namely Unit Commander Kaen and Hyeijin.
“So even some of the more famous adventurers are starting to test the waters because they’re curious about this brat named Baek Yuseol.”
The name Baek Yuseol had become famous enough by now that his movements stirred people’s curiosity.
“Are you going to apply? I’m not really into it…”
Hyeijin’s specialty was illusion magic.
She had received training optimized for dealing with Dark Mages and mages, so although she certainly knew destructive magic too, there was no helping the fact that she still felt reluctant.
But had Kaen ever once been the type to care about Hyeijin’s feelings?
“We’re going.”
“Ehhh~ I don’t want to…”
This wasn’t merely a matter of curiosity.
They had crossed paths with Baek Yuseol a few times already, but not once had they properly seen the extent of his true skill.
So if they could use this opportunity to clear a dungeon together and gauge Baek Yuseol’s real ability…
It wouldn’t be a bad arrangement at all.
‘He’s someone who has to be watched carefully…’
Baek Yuseol was a figure even the Crescent Moon Tower Master had taken notice of, and Kaen intended to dig deeper into him.
In truth, Kaen was far from the only one thinking this way.
Some people, upon hearing the name Baek Yuseol, merely reacted with a little interest—“Ah, that famous student?”
But naturally, there were also those who wanted to go and see his ability with their own eyes.
“What the hell is this…”
As a result, Baek Yuseol found himself unable to hide his bewilderment as he read through applications that were much more lavish than he had expected.
There were far too many experts applying.
And above all, there were several applications that particularly stood out.
They were so shamelessly transparent in motive that all he could do was laugh.
‘Why is this guy even here…?’
Commander Kaen of the 13th Annihilation Unit.
He had written absolutely nothing in his self-introduction, carrying himself with the bold air of someone who seemed to be saying that if he wasn’t accepted, he would kill them all.
Even Baek Yuseol had no real choice but to accept that one.
And on top of that, with all the well-known magic warriors and mercenaries who had also applied, the number of people easily exceeded twenty.
Then, on the day the dungeon expedition departed—
the party members, seeing one another’s faces for the first time, all wore expressions of “Oh, you came too?”
They had all been rolling around in this line of work for so long that everyone was already familiar with everyone else’s faces.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m the party leader, Baek Yuseol.”
Since every last one of them were veteran adventurers, Baek Yuseol nearly felt a bit of pressure, but in the end he reminded himself that, contractually speaking, he was the boss here, and decided to relax.
“So then, young party leader. Is it actually true that there’s a dungeon there?”
“Of course it is. Why’d you apply if you couldn’t even trust that much?”
“Ah. It looked fun.”
“Haha…”
There were certainly some colorful party members here.
“The dungeon really exists. Though, if it doesn’t… I suppose I’ll be beaten to death.”
As Baek Yuseol said that while glancing over the party members, several of them burst into laughter.
Which made sense.
If he’d lied and dragged together a group of veterans like this under false pretenses, then even being a Stella student wouldn’t let him walk away from it unharmed.
“The dungeon really exists. And it’ll probably be quite an interesting experience for all of you, too.”
“Well, that’s odd… I’ve swept every corner of these parts for ten years and there wasn’t a single sign that any more dungeons could even appear.”
“Well, aren’t dungeons just like that by nature? Sometimes people wake up from a nap and suddenly find a dungeon entrance inside their own bedroom.”
“That’s true enough.”
In a world where dungeon entrances appeared so irregularly, excuses like this were very convenient.
And in truth…
Baek Yuseol still had not actually discovered the dungeon entrance yet.
If one asked whether he hadn’t done prior scouting, then he would answer that he couldn’t.
Because in order for the dungeon entrance to open, there was one more condition that had to be met.
Kuuuuung…!
At the sudden thunderous roar echoing from somewhere, every member of the party looked up at the sky.
Five enormous royal war airships bearing the flag of the House of Adolevit were just now taking flight into the sky.
And the direction they were headed…
was none other than the gigantic whirlpool that had frozen a thousand years ago, and the Black Cross eternally sleeping in its midst.
‘Looks like they’ve finally set out.’
There was a reason the dungeon expedition had been deliberately scheduled for the same day as Adolevit’s launch ceremony.
The moment they disturbed the spirit of the Pirate King, Black Belize, and the Incarnation of Ice was revived…
the dungeon entrance would finally open.
“Let’s go.”
I led the party out toward the frozen sea.
To be honest, the coast of Leviang was so cold that even magical equipment could freeze solid, making the act of launching airships little different from insanity.
Unless, of course, you were the Adolevit royal family and could dump an idiotic amount of money into the problem.
Our party traveled on foot.
To be fair, if I really dragged in the budget, I could probably make a magic sled that ran across the ice.
But that was too risky.
You never knew when a monster might burst up from beneath the frozen sea.
“Damn… looks like they poured an insane amount of money into this.”
“Seems like the royal family’s really serious this time.”
“If only we knew what they were actually doing…”
Even while casually chatting, the party members efficiently dealt with the ice golems and monsters emerging from the sea.
That fleet of airships soaring up high overhead really was a sight.
I drew my sword too and at least made a bit of a show of fighting, though honestly, there were hardly any moments when I actually needed to step forward.
One might imagine veteran adventurers specialized in cold steel, but to survive for that many years in this profession, learning proper magic was essential, so nearly everyone here was a highly capable mage.
Meaning there was no need for me to rush in swinging a sword when they were already dispatching enemies with magic efficiently enough.
“You know, for a brat, the party leader planned the route really well.”
“Sure did.”
“Looking at his gear too, he didn’t bring anything flashy or vain. Just the essentials… looks like he’s seriously prepared.”
“Hell. Does a real genius actually exist? It took me a good three years under my previous party leader before I could put together routes like this.”
The frozen sea of Leviang was in itself a monster nest and a labyrinth, so charting a route toward a dungeon was the kind of problem that required a lot of brains.
Of course, Baek Yuseol had no such grand ability.
He had simply wandered these paths enough times while retrying the dungeon.
“This way.”
“Oho…”
“That’s nasty.”
“There’s a dungeon in a place like this?”
The place we arrived at was a gigantic crevasse, dropping away sharply into the depths.
Staring down at the endless frozen abyss, the party members’ expressions tightened.
“Was there always a place like this…?”
Probably not.
It was most likely terrain that had only formed for the first time now.
[You have discovered the entrance leading to the dungeon ‘Frozen World’.]
This dungeon would probably be an extraordinarily unique and mysterious place for adventurers, unlike anything they had experienced before.
Because instead of ordinary monsters, actual spirits would appear.
And at the very end of this dungeon…
there lay the forbidden realm where no human body should ever set foot—
the World of the Ice Spirits.
“Don’t tell me any of you came all the way here just to back out now?”
“No. If you tell me to back out, I’ll kill you. I’m actually getting more excited.”
“Hoo… it’s been a long time since I attempted an adventure like this.”
“Heh. If I’d known it’d be this fun, I would’ve at least repaired my wand properly before coming.”
“You still haven’t fixed that damned wand after ten years?”
Just as expected, the adventurers reacted with obvious excitement.
Seeing that, Baek Yuseol had to work hard not to look too pleased.
‘Yes, yes. Be even happier.’
Because while they went charging ahead and worked hard beating the spirits to death, Baek Yuseol intended to sit in the back and basically eat popcorn.
He did feel rather sorry for the adventurers who had come to see his skills in action…
But from the very beginning, Baek Yuseol had never once intended to take out his wand in this dungeon expedition.
High above the coast of Leviang—
Hong Biyeon quietly looked down at the earth below, the chilly wind washing over her.
The airship’s magical barrier blocked most of the freezing wind, but there was no helping the fact that at least a little air still slipped through and brushed against her face.
Uooooo…
From far away, a strange cry could be heard from the Black Cross.
It was not a hallucination.
History had recorded that this was a sound that had always been heard whenever anyone approached this region.
No one knew the identity of that cry, but most people had their guesses.
Was it not, perhaps, a warning from the Pirate King long asleep in the past, telling them not to come any closer?
The nearer the airship drew to the Black Cross, the harder her heart pounded.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous.
But this was something that had to be done.
“Princess Hong Biyeon.”
Turning slowly, she saw Queen Hong Seryu approaching, followed by the three priestesses.
The queen’s expression, too, was unusually tense.
Perhaps that was because it had fallen to her generation to break the promise of their ancestors.
Even she could not possibly feel at ease.
“Yes.”
“Prepare yourself. The time is near.”
After saying that, Hong Seryu stared off into the distance and added:
“…No matter what happens, do not worry. I will handle everything myself.”
“Yes. I trust you.”
Though they said those words, neither of them looked the other in the eye.
Because Hong Seryu did not trust Hong Biyeon.
And Hong Biyeon did not trust Hong Seryu.
Even so, Hong Biyeon could still remain calm.
Not because she trusted the queen—
but because she knew very well that somewhere out there even now, someone she truly could trust was moving quickly, doing everything he could.
He, too, was surely fighting a desperate battle in some place just as dangerous and suffocating as this one.
Because of that—
‘…I can do this. I absolutely can.’
Hong Biyeon was able to steel her heart.
