Chapter 24: City of Traps |
The next morning dawned. After talking with An Hyeon at dawn, I returned to the room to take over the night watch and nursing duties. Even though I said it was fine and that they could sleep more, they insisted on pushing me out, so I had no choice. Figuring I might as well get some shut-eye, I lay down in a corner of the living room and seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. I decided to reflect on my actions a little.
Even though there was nothing to worry about for now, carelessness was forbidden. Of course, I might be the abnormal one. But I was the type of person who was only satisfied after pushing myself to the absolute limit, no matter what I did. It had become a habit over the past ten years; I deliberately avoided sleeping soundly and eating my fill. Just as I was thinking it was time to pick up the pace and was about to get up, I sensed a presence nearby. I slowly opened my eyes to find an unexpected person sitting demurely beside my sleeping spot. It was none other than An Sol.
“Ah!”
An Sol, who had been tilting her head back and forth with a restless expression, met my gaze, and her eyes widened like saucers. There was no need to be so surprised. *I'm not your enemy.* With a voice full of the meaning, *I won't hurt you,* I offered a gentle morning greeting.
“Morning. Are you feeling better?”
“Ah, good morning.”
Seeing her greet me politely, though flustered by my words, made me smile involuntarily. *Ah, I really shouldn't be like this.* Why did my heart soften whenever I saw this girl? Watching her, who endlessly stimulated my protective instincts, I slowly sat up. Seeing my movement, she hesitated with a timid attitude before finally speaking to me in a voice as small as a mosquito's buzz.
“O-Oppa.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm?”
What nonsense is she spouting all of a sudden? I felt like I'd heard the words "I'm sorry" a lot, both yesterday and today. As I looked at An Sol with a baffled expression, she lowered her head and continued.
“Well... I heard... that because of me... you had a really hard time...”
Her words were so disjointed that anyone who didn't know the situation might misunderstand. Setting that aside, seeing An Sol stutter, I suddenly felt worried about her future. How could she possibly endure life with the extraordinary people of Hall Plain when she stammered even while talking to others? This girl would later become the Brilliance Priest, rising to the same level as the Shadow Queen or the Princess of Execution, who were practically representatives of the female Users? It seemed like a distant tale indeed. I replied with an indifferent expression.
“There's no need to be sorry. In fact, you did extremely well. I heard you saved everyone's lives, didn't you?”
“N-No! I don't really remember that part well!”
Knowing she would be disheartened if I showed my true thoughts, I shook my head with a benevolent expression. My praise must have registered, as her face brightened, and she began to wave her hands with a goofy grin. It meant her thoughts were written all over her face; in conclusion, she was a genuinely naive type. I was truly curious how someone could raise a child to be so pure and artless. At that moment, I heard someone call me from behind.
“Su-hyeon Orabeoni. If you're awake, please have your meal.”
“?”
“What is it, Orabeoni? Why do you gaze upon this maiden with such a questioning look?”
“?”
“Why are you looking at me like... Damn it, fine. I'll talk normally. An Hyeon told me you took care of Sol and stood watch for us last night. I made breakfast to thank you. The others have already eaten, so don't worry.”
“Mm. That's definitely Lee Yu-jeong. Thanks.”
I nodded and reached out my hand, and with an annoyed expression, she slammed a plate down in front of me. The menu was the same as yesterday: tuna crackers. I wanted to tease her, asking if this was the only thing she knew how to make, but seeing the cold glare she shot me, I figured it was better to keep my mouth shut.
“...”
“...”
I reached out and took a bite of a cracker. Lee Yu-jeong and An Sol sat quietly, watching me eat. As I was thoroughly chewing on the cracker, I put it down with a dissatisfied look. Seeing this, Lee Yu-jeong blinked as if to tell me to eat more, while An Sol, for some reason, was still grinning innocently. *Did they all lose their minds today?*
“Do I look like some monkey at a zoo?”
“Not that much. It's just that the way you eat is interesting.”
“The way I eat?”
*Not that much, she says.* Hmm. Was I eating that strangely? I was just eating like I normally... As I thought idly, a realization struck me, and I inwardly cursed.
“An Hyeon just chews a few times and gulps it down, but you're the complete opposite. You nibble at it like a squirrel. You chew it into tiny pieces as slowly as possible, then seem to swallow it bit by bit. And you don't even eat much. Why on earth do you eat like that?”
I couldn't answer right away. Lee Yu-jeong's observation skills were sharper than I expected. The truth was, back when I was being chased by elves in the Forest of Elves, there was a time when food was scarce. I divided the remaining food into smaller and smaller portions, eating just enough to get through the day, and that's when this eating habit formed. Besides that, whenever I was preparing for battle, whether forming a caravan or joining an expedition, I never ate until I was full in order to heighten my senses as much as possible. A full stomach can dull one's sharp senses.
However, since I couldn't tell them the truth, I decided to subtly change the subject.
“It's just a habit. I eat when I need to, but in situations like this, I tend to eat a little less. Anyway, I don't see the other two. Where did everyone go?”
“An Hyeon and Kim Han-byeol? An Hyeon went out to scout the area by himself, and I think Kim Han-byeol went up to the roof.”
Seeing Lee Yu-jeong answer obediently without any particular suspicion, I sighed in relief inwardly. Then, suddenly feeling a gaze on me, I turned my head to see An Sol looking at me with her bright, clear eyes. When our eyes met, she grinned goofily again, her face still showing a hint of awkwardness. *What is with her today?*
I felt that An Sol was much like a small child. When a child first sees a stranger, they are instinctively wary. They are afraid and anxious that the person might harm them. If you approach them thoughtlessly at that point, they will show their displeasure and burst into tears.
The way to befriend such a child is simple. At first, you keep a certain distance and do nothing, letting them recognize that you at least mean no harm. Then, the curious child will toddle over to express their curiosity, and that is the right time to become friends with them.
After a moment of contemplation about An Sol... no, just some trivial thoughts, I chewed on another cracker Lee Yu-jeong had made and fell into another train of thought. If we count a day as ending at 24:00, then today is the second day since we entered the Trap Point. In other words, we were safe until 24:00 today. Although no one said anything, they all seemed to like this place quite a bit.
“I hope they come back soon. I have something to talk about.”
“What is it? Something about what we should do from now on?”
“Something like that.”
“What is it, Oppa? Tell me and Sol first.”
Lee Yu-jeong, sitting with her knees together and her arms wrapped around them, asked with a curious expression. An Sol also looked slightly tense, surprised by the mention of the future. There might be strong opposition if I said this, but I decided to face it head-on. No matter how difficult it was to say, it was a truth everyone needed to know eventually.
“I think it would be best to leave this city today.”
As soon as I finished speaking, their faces hardened in an instant, just as I had expected.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“I just got back from a quick patrol. Just like you said, Hyeong, it's eerily quiet.”
An Hyeon's first words upon opening the front door and entering were that the city was suspiciously quiet. At my call to talk, the entire group, including myself, had gathered in the living room. Kim Han-byeol seemed to have composed herself while getting some fresh air, having recovered her usual cold and calm expression. I looked at everyone's faces and began to speak.
“I'm sure you all heard some things from the angels before coming to this place called the Rite of Passage.”
“Well, I don't really remember. I was too busy fighting with that winged bitch to hear anything.”
Seeing Lee Yu-jeong tilt her head, a bitter smile formed on my face. Setting her aside for a moment, I turned to An Hyeon and Kim Han-byeol. They thought for a moment before beginning to speak one by one.
“I read the warnings, but there were so many... They don't provide water or food, so we have to find our own; death in this space means actual death, so be careful; the condition for survival is to reach the warp gate in the center and... uh, what else was there?”
“To survive for seven days.”
Kim Han-byeol completed An Hyeon's sentence. And those were the exact words I had been waiting for.
“That's it. Survive for seven days. Han-byeol-ssi, do you happen to remember any other conditions attached to that clause?”
At my question, Kim Han-byeol showed a brief, inexplicable look of displeasure before speaking.
“I remember. I think I heard directly from the angel not to settle in one place. They said to either keep running for seven days or head to the center.”
I nodded at her words and was about to speak again when Lee Yu-jeong quickly interjected, beating me to it.
“But Oppa, it's safe here, isn't it? There's plenty of food, we slept well, and we have a house. Don't you all remember yesterday? We suffered like hell as soon as we got out of the forest.”
“That's true. Hyeong. Do we really need to leave this place? We don't have to believe everything those angels say, do we?”
When An Hyeon also backed her up and questioned me, Lee Yu-jeong looked at me with a much brighter expression. It seemed she really didn't want to go outside.
I met both of their gazes and began to speak in a quiet voice.
“I think everyone is thinking too complacently just because it's comfortable right now. Let's try thinking about it from the opposite perspective.”
“The opposite?”
“Yes. As Hyeon knows from his patrol, this city is far too quiet. In the forest, it was one tense moment after another, and you were attacked even after you got out. It will probably be the same if we go outside again. But...”
I paused for a moment before continuing.
“The angels don't want us to act like this. They even warned us. Survive for seven days or go to the central warp gate, and never settle down. We need to understand what the angels want. Considering the meaning of the Rite of Passage and our current situation, we're going against their intentions. This situation is obviously strange, isn't it? Compared to outside, the facilities are comfortable, there's plenty of food, and there are no monsters. I think this is a trap. I have a bad feeling that something will happen if we stay here any longer.”
“...So you're saying we should leave just because you have a bad feeling.”
“I know it's hard to accept based on a feeling alone. But it's true that there's a really unsettling aura here. I believe the most efficient way to handle a place like this is to rest just enough, take what you need, and leave. If possible, I'd like for us to leave today.”
Even as I was trying to persuade them, I honestly wasn't confident I could make them understand. The success rate of persuasion is vastly different in dangerous situations versus safe ones. Moreover, this time, even I felt my argument lacked persuasiveness. It wasn't entirely without logic, but it relied heavily on prediction or intuition. But that part couldn't be helped. There was bound to be a difference between someone who knew Hall Plain and someone who didn't.
Everyone was silent for a while, but their displeased faces made it clear they didn't want to leave. Of course, I could just take care of the boss monster myself, but since this was a place prepared by the angels, I wanted them to follow the standard course. The more comfortable they were now, the more they would suffer in Hall Plain. An Hyeon looked up, met my eyes, and then turned to the others and spoke.
“Since everyone seems to have a different opinion... let's take a vote.”
“A vote?”
“Yes. But I'll set two conditions for this vote.”
“What kind of conditions?”
His unexpected suggestion sparked a feeling of interest in me. *A vote.* It felt like a word I hadn't heard in a very long time. Kim Han-byeol also reacted as if it were a novel idea and questioned him, to which An Hyeon replied with a small nod.
“The conditions aren't anything special. First, each person can exercise their right by choosing one of three options: agree, disagree, or abstain. However, you must state the reason for your choice. And second, whatever the outcome, everyone will follow the decision without complaint.”
Hearing An Hyeon's words, Lee Yu-jeong, confident that the 'stay' side would win, spoke in a cheerful voice.
“I agree, I agree! I have no objections. A vote, huh? I like it. Let's do it right now. Can I go first?”
“Right. It's better to do these things quickly. I'll put Su-hyeon Hyeong down as one vote in favor for now, since you've already stated your reason.”
“No objection.”
“Then... does anyone have any other opinions? If not, we'll proceed like this.”
As Kim Han-byeol, An Sol, and I agreed, An Hyeon nodded and turned his gaze to Lee Yu-jeong. Slowly, her lips parted, and everyone focused on what she was about to say.