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n94. Head for the Holy Land

nThere were several human figures on the wall, some of whom were emitting light. In the meantime, the barrier of fire that stood in the way grew larger.

n“Shit!”

nKo Byeong-gap quickly put the gear in reverse and pulled the car back. Who in the world would want their car to be lit up? Fortunately, the car was fine, but his heart went up in flames.

n“There’s someone on the wall.” Dorma, who noticed half a beat late, said so. Ko Byeong-gap gritted his teeth and answered, “Oh, fortunately, I don’t think so.”

n“Maybe it’s a Sarahon. It could be our surviving kin that had gathered in Chitosan.”

nMarilyn spoke with anticipation. Ko Byeong-gap was skeptical. If a colony that had come and gone suddenly appeared, it would be ridiculous. The fireballs kept flying regardless of their musings, creating a barrier of fire around them while avoiding directly hitting the car. That fire was mysterious in many ways. They were neither arrows nor cannonballs, just pure fireballs. In addition, even without wood, the fire burned without showing signs of diminishing.

n“I don’t think they’re trying to hurt us.”

n“It looks like warning shots to me.”

n“What would you like to do?”

n“If you can understand each other, you should try to talk. It’s a shame that they fired at us in the first place.”

nKo Byeong-gap sighed quietly, unlocking his seat belt.

n“I’ll go out and talk to them. In the meantime, go to the trunk and pack your arms.”

n“Alright.”

n“Yes, Lord.”

n“Let’s get off.”

nThey got out of the car. Ko Byeong-gap stepped forward, raising his hands, while Dorma and Marilyn headed behind the car. The light that was shining on the car focused on Ko Byeong-gap. He endured the glare and looked up. Silhouettes were vaguely visible due to the rays of light that shone down from above.

n‘He seems to have a head and limbs.’

nAt least it looked like a human being. Just as he had cleared his breath and was about to open his mouth, the first to speak came from the other side.

n“What are you? Reveal your identity!”

nIt was the voice of a man with a beautiful tone. He couldn’t even admire the voice for a moment since he was annoyed, however. How should they introduce themselves? He just wanted to ask who they were to occupy the castle. However, the conversation would only turn sour if he did, so he decided to wrap it up appropriately.

n“We are wandering travelers!”

n“Travelers?”

nThey began to babble among themselves over there. In the meantime, Dorma and Marilyn approached a short distance away. Ko Byeong-gap received his sword and gently held it.

n“What is that piece?”

n“What, this?”

n“Yes!”

n“It’s a car. Think of it as something like a horse.”

nAgain, they started murmuring over there. Ko Byeong-gap couldn’t stand it and said, “We’re looking for a place to stay for the night. Please open the door.”

n“Wait. The Lord is on his way.”

nThey left only those words and shut their mouths. He asked several times, ‘Who are you?’ but no answer came. About ten minutes later, a new figure appeared. He stood in front of the bumps on the wall and looked down for a while. After a moment, the gates opened without warning.

n“Do they want us to come in?”

n“That’s why they opened the gates. Get in the car, both of you. They’re holding weapons.”

n“I see.”

nThe wall of fire that blocked them magically died down. Ko Byeong-gap drove slowly to avoid the soot. He saw soldiers filling both sides of the street as they entered. Whether such things could be called soldiers was beyond discussion. One thing was for sure, Valtadren soldiers were much better on the surface.

n“Lord… Lord, there…?”

n“Yeah.”

nOnly now could they identify the race of those inside the castle. Even in Ko Byeong-gap’s eyes, it was quite clear. They looked like human beings but had strangely awkward features, almost like dolls or mannequins due to their big eyes.

n“They’re Spirits.”

nThose were Ea’s kin.

n***

nHe remembered hearing it vaguely a long time ago. Somewhere on the continent, there was a kingdom of Spirits. He never thought he would run into them on their trip, however.

n‘It seems to be very poor for a kingdom.’

nIt was the Spirits that occupied Chitosan, the old castle of the Sarahons. They seemed to have their order and discipline, maintaining the semblance of civilization in the desolate wildernesses. The Spirits were astonished to see Ko Byeong-gap’s party from a distance. They looked at them like they were strange, or like they were something else…overall, it wasn’t a good thing.

nIt was the Lord who calmed down the murmurs. Of course, he was a Spirit, too, with a noticeably aged appearance.

n“You’re not Spirits.”

n“As you can see.”

n“Take up your spears. Guards, return to your original positions.”

nThe Spirits moved quickly as he ordered. The Lord looked at the car and frowned.

n“There’s no stable here. I don’t think there’s a place to put that weird mount.”

n“We can just leave it here.”

n“I’m afraid it would cause a scene. You didn’t even fasten its reins.”

n“There will be no trouble. It’s very calm.”

n“If that ride makes a disturbance, I’ll order them to attack it without delay.”

n“You can do as you please.”

nA car that had been turned off wouldn’t cause a disturbance, so Ko Byeong-gap answered confidently. The Lord looked unhappy but nodded.

n“Follow me.”

nThe Lord took the lead. Rather than the castle’s leader, he just felt like an old-fashioned, picky-looking grandfather from the local neighborhood. The place he showed them was an ordinary wooden hut. It didn’t fit well for a parlor or a private house of a Lord. So, they thought he had guided them to their accommodations.

nBut inside, a lantern was lit, and there was an open book on the desk. It was the Lord’s residence indeed.

n“Sit down. We indeed treat our guests with the utmost respect, but things aren’t so easy. I’d appreciate it if you could understand.”

n“That’s alright.”

nKo Byeong-gap sat on the floor roughly, and Dorma sat nearby as if he had no idea. Marilyn seemed somewhat dubious but sat in one corner of the room. The Lord pulled out his chair and sat down, rubbing his forehead. He looked at the three visitors with a blank expression on his face as he spoke.

n“At first, I thought I was looking at the ghosts of the past, but you’re alive and well. To confess, it feels like the common sense I’ve built so far is collapsing.”

nKo Byeong-gap responded immediately, surprised.

n“Do you know who we are?”

n“I know. A human, a Sarahon, and a Goblin. I wonder if it’s right to distinguish a Sarahon from a Goblin.”

nNot only Ko Byeong-gap, but Dorma and Marilyn’s mouths were wide open.

n‘This Spirit… knows the history of the Sarahons.’

nAt any rate, it was clear that he was no ordinary Spirit.

n“You must know a lot.”

n“I’ve lived for quite a long time. But it isn’t the first time I’ve ever had such a ridiculous day. I wasn’t as surprised today as I was when the Devil’s cubs broke out in the surface world.”

n“It’s a little out of the blue, but I have a lot of questions for you.”

n“The same goes for me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have you in the castle. But before that, I have one thing to check.”

n“What?”

n“Didn’t you run into Titan on your way here?”

n“Titan?”

nKo Byeong-gap tilted his head. It was a familiar name, but he couldn’t remember it easily.

nThe Lord asked as if surprised. “You don’t know Titan? It’s a Gruggle as huge as a mountain.”

n“Ah, you’re talking about that guy.”

nOnly then was Ko Byeong-gap able to recall the story Ea told him. Among them was a colossal Gruggle, who even earned a name due to his fame. When Ko Byeong-gap reacted, the Lord’s expression became ugly.

n“Did you run into Titan? When? Where?”

n“Please calm down. We didn’t run into it.”

n“Are you sure?”

nKo Byeong-gap glanced subtly at Dorma and Marilyn. It was a signal not to say anything.

n“Why would we lie? Why do you think we ran into Titan?”

n“You’re from the west. Titan passed through here a while ago and went west.”

n“That’s reasonable thinking, but really, we’ve never run into Titan.”

nThe Lord took a moment to calm himself down.

n“I’m sorry. I was afraid you might drag Titan in. If you did, I’d have to kick you out.”

n“Seeing that you’re so afraid, it seems that he’s strong, right?”

n“Surely speaking… Titan is the last disaster left on this dead continent.”

n“But you look fine considering that Titan passed by.”

nThe Lord’s expression hardened, and he let out a sigh.

n“Dozens of Spirits have sacrificed themselves to avoid us being caught by him. I don’t want to talk about it further.”

n“Well, that’s alright. I’m not curious.”

n“It’s good that you’re honest.”

nThe Lord smiled, closed the book on the desk, and put it into the bookcase. There weren’t many books in there, barely more than a dozen.

nHe spoke, conscious of their gazes, “These books are all written by the Sarahons.”

n“My kin?!”

nMarilyn reacted clearly. The Lord replied with a shrug.

n“Yes, it’s all here. You all know this is the old castle of the Sarahons, right?”

n“I know.”

nKo Byeong-gap replied. The Lord nodded, muttering, ‘Yes, of course.’

n“As expected, you didn’t come by accident. It would be a lie to say you were wandering travelers.”

nThe Lord pointed sharply. Ko Byeong-gap decided to confess openly.

n“We were on our way to Vervonia. Chitosan was on that path.”

n“Ho, Vervonia. If my memory is correct, that is the ancient capital of Ashvilam. What are you going to do there?”

n“We’re going because I have something to do. It’s personal.”

n“Really? It’s not my business whatever you do.”

nThe Lord giggled and laughed, sitting back in the chair.

n“Come to think of it; we hadn’t introduced ourselves yet. I’m Kunta, the Lord of this castle.”

n“I’m Ko Byeong-gap. These are my men, Dorma and Marilyn.”

nDorma and Marilyn paid silent tribute. Lord Kunta’s eyes widened.

n“Your men? Well, I’m getting more curious about you.”

n“Since we have a lot of questions between us, why don’t we stop talking and get to the point?”

n“I like it, but how are you? It doesn’t seem like your trip is going well. Aren’t you tired? It’s late.”

nOf course, he was tired. Didn’t he drive nonstop for 14 hours? His body and mind wanted to sleep quickly, but curiosity overcame all that fatigue. He looked at his men and asked.

n“Dorma, Marilyn. Are you exhausted? If you’re tired, take a rest tonight.”

n“Why would I be tired? All I’ve been doing all day is sitting down.”

n“I’m fine too. Lord, aren’t you more tired than we are?”

nWhen the word ‘Lord’ came out of Marilyn’s mouth, Kunta flinched. Ko Byeong-gap glanced at him and shrugged his shoulders.

n“As you’ve heard, we’re okay.”

n“Well… if you’re okay with it, it’s fine. So, what do you want to ask? If I can answer it, I will tell you.”

n“Things that happened here.”

nKo Byeong-gap answered immediately.

n“I want to know everything that has happened on this land.”

n“You mean you want to know its history?”

n“That’s right.”

n“Hahaha.”

nKunta let out a big smile. He pulled the chair closer to Ko Byeong-gas with his eyes shining.

n“You’ve chosen a good opponent. It’s just old stories that this old man knows.”

nKunta’s long story began.

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