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Chapter: 55

Northernmost in the Northern Region of Mokryeo Kingdom.

Simultaneously, the most prosperous city and the most fortified fortress in the north. It was natural for Wolhan Fortress to protect the north, and it was a fact that only the vast land south of Wolhan Fortress belonged to humans, something one would naturally realize while living there, even without being told.

Therefore, everyone held prejudice against the demonic realm beyond the northern border. Prejudice towards the unseen arises precisely because it remains unseen.

That was certainly the case.

"Y-Your Highness the First Prince?"

A soldier in my group showed the gate pass to the soldier at the north gate.

"N-No, you mean His Highness the First Prince is going?"

"That\'s how it turned out."

"Is, is this even possible...?"

"Why wouldn\'t it be? I heard His Highness decided so. So keep it down."

The gatekeeper guarding the north gate of Wolhan Fortress spoke.

I can hear everything. I already heard it all.

I turned my head and looked at the north gate of Wolhan Fortress. Although it was called the north gate because it was the passage to the north, it was actually far from being a proper gate.

It was definitely not on the scale to be called a main gate; calling it a back gate would be more fitting. They said it was a gate that wouldn\'t be opened unless in emergencies or special circumstances like now.

The other soldiers around glanced at me.

"T-This way, please."

The gatekeeper pushed open an iron door that looked brand new. It seemed like the door had been recently replaced.

As soon as we exited the fortress through the north gate, a rugged mountainous landscape unfolded before us.

Towering peaks. Dark clouds hung over the peaks that pierced the sky. The contrast between the shadows cast by the clouds and the sunlit areas. Jagged rocks protruding like teeth along the mountain slopes. Neither the sky nor time would be their enemy.

Anyway, mountains were mountains. Although somewhat rugged, they were common and ordinary. However, the mere fact that they were untouched by human presence gave them an eerie feeling.

It was as if my instincts were whispering that this place could never be my home.

Indeed, it wasn\'t called the demonic realm for nothing.

The impression was quite different from when I saw it from inside the fortress walls. If I had thought it was a bewitching landscape when looking down from the fortress wall, now it felt overwhelming. Yes, overwhelming. I felt a sense of pressure. It was as if my soul was being pushed back by the mountain\'s energy.

The presence or absence of the fortress wall alone made such a difference in how it felt.

Probably others would feel differently too.

"Your Highness."

The guide called out to me. His name was Deokbong. He wasn\'t part of the Wolhan Fortress military but someone who made a living by gathering medicinal herbs from the mountains outside the walls and selling them. He had survived for a long time without dying, catching the Lord of Wolhan Fortress\'s eye.

"Before we left, the Lord said that if Your Highness feels fatigued, we should immediately..."

"Ah, it\'s noisy."

He was saying that it was okay to turn back midway. That won\'t happen. I\'m not that weak. What does he take me for?

...Should I gain some more weight? Would that make me look tougher?

"The Lord asked me to convey this, so I hope you\'ve heard it."

Chaos, who had suddenly approached, spoke. I didn\'t know why, but he was also part of the group.

They must have chosen him because his skills and experience were reliable. The Lord of Wolhan Fortress was the one who decided on the exploration team members.

I emphasize, I\'m trusting the Lord of Wolhan Fortress, not this guy.

"I heard you well."

"It doesn\'t seem like you did."

You have quite the audacity in front of the First Prince. I feel like giving you a round of applause.

It would be perfect to clap my hands with those smooth cheeks between them.

Chaos stared at me with an expressionless face and then abruptly turned his head away.

Anyway, he\'s an unpleasant fellow. Even if I try to see him in a good light, who would like him if he acts like that?

Suddenly, the weight of the sword at my waist felt heavy. This was the sword Chaos had tried to steal.

Hmph, there\'s no way I\'d let it be taken away like that. Especially not by him. No matter how great his achievements, I didn\'t want to give him anything, just out of spite.

He was the kind of person who could ruin all his accomplishments with a single word or action, even after achieving a hundred feats.

"Let\'s hurry. If it\'s as treacherous as you say, we don\'t have time to waste."

It would be a big problem if the sun went down. I had considered the possibility of camping, but it wasn\'t something I looked forward to. I wanted to return before sunset if possible. Wouldn\'t the bed in Wolhan Fortress be more comfortable than the ground?

It wasn\'t that I hated camping, but I wasn\'t keen on it, given the location. If I had to sleep with the harsh mountain as my bed and the dampness as my blanket... I really didn\'t want to.

Separately, camping was something I was very familiar with. There was a time when I had to live without a roof over my head.

If the sun set, we\'d have no choice but to camp. Moving around in the dark mountains was not only a bad idea but also foolish. They said the monsters became more active after sunset.

So, we\'d have to wait there until the sun rose and the surroundings brightened.

Even if I didn\'t like it, we\'d have to camp if the situation didn\'t allow otherwise. That\'s why everyone in the group had backpacks filled with food and necessary supplies.

"Yes, Your Highness. Then, I shall lead the way."

The guide, carrying a heavy backpack on his back, took the first step.

The group started to move away from Wolhan Fortress.

* * *

Even though all we had done was walk, I felt like it required a skill. The skill of walking, that is. It was a completely different feeling from when I wandered through the Taeryung Mountain Range in Seopyung. The energy of the mountains and the monsters felt like they were pressing down on my shoulders and pulling at my ankles.

It was probably just my imagination.

There were also visible things to blame.

The slopes were steep, and there were sheer cliffs everywhere. The trees grew without order, intertwining and growing while strangling each other. The tangled branches spread out like a net, blocking the sky. As a result, sunlight didn\'t reach the ground. What sprouted from the damp earth weren\'t blades of grass but clusters of unidentified mushrooms and mold.

It felt like my shoes were getting contaminated. If there was someone who frequently climbed this mountain, they would have to constantly throw away their shoes and get new ones. Even if left unattended for a short while, mold would quickly grow on them. I was wearing expensive leather shoes, so it was a bit of a waste. Being from a poor background, I was sensitive about money and couldn\'t help but be bothered by such things.

The damp air of the forest entering my lungs wasn\'t pleasant at all. It was dark, and the air was colder and damper than before, creating an unsettling atmosphere.

It was the perfect environment for hiding something, though.

"Even though they\'re common trees, they look different here."

Chaos responded to my mumbling.

"That species also exists in Wolhan Fortress."

His words had an unclear intention.

...Is he picking a fight?

"I know that too."

When I replied curtly, the guide walking ahead glanced back. As our eyes met, he immediately turned his head away, as if checking if I was tired.

"I\'m not tired. I\'m not tired."

Of course, the guide didn\'t say anything, and I was just feeling self-conscious.

The most exhausted person in the group was probably the guide himself. He was leading the way, wielding a large curved sword and cutting through the trees. Beside him, two soldiers familiar with mountain climbing followed, clearing the path. I was following behind them.

We walked like that for a long time. The trees grew so densely that their branches and leaves formed a ceiling, blocking the sky, so we continued walking without even realizing the sun was setting.

It was fortunate that it was late spring; if it were winter, it would have been unbearable. If heavy snow fell on this damp soil, even walking on flat ground wouldn\'t be easy. If a blizzard obstructed our vision, we\'d have to figure out how to stay together, let alone worry about monsters. What if someone slipped and fell?

Just thinking about it made me feel suffocated.

"Your Highness, it\'s getting late."

Only then did I look around. The surroundings were darker than before.

The guide fumbled and pulled out a map, explaining.

"We started from here and passed through this way. Now we\'ve arrived here... How are you feeling, Your Highness?"

"How am I feeling about what? Are you asking if I\'m tired?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Ah. I let out a short sigh and replied.

"I\'m still fine."

"Shall we turn back now?"

If we wanted to avoid camping, we had to turn back immediately. But we hadn\'t discovered anything yet.

The monsters that were supposed to come down to Wolhan Fortress without us having to search for them were nowhere to be found, even when we came all the way to their main base to look for them. What kind of contrarian creatures were these?

We could try to lure them out with loud noises, but there was no telling what might happen if we did. It wouldn\'t be easy for our small group to handle a horde of monsters. So for now, we had to stay hidden and keep searching.

We needed to continue exploring until we found something, even if it was just one monster.

"Have we even seen anything at all?"

"We haven\'t found anything yet, but..."

"We can\'t go back empty-handed, having seen nothing."

"However, if we delay any longer, we\'ll have to camp," The guide said apologetically.

Do I look like I\'ll fall deathly ill if I lie on the ground?

"It\'s fine. We can camp. It\'s not like we didn\'t come prepared for that."

The guide folded the map and put it away. Then he pointed to a flat area nearby.

"Then... how about we camp around here?"

I readily nodded.

"Let\'s do that."

With my approval, the group moved swiftly and began preparations for camping.

"I\'ll take care of this."

"Oh, no need."

One of the soldiers was setting up a tent, but his skills were lacking. It didn\'t seem like his first time, but he appeared clumsy.

"I\'ll do it."

I approached and unceremoniously took the tent from him. Then I started setting it up myself.

"If there\'s anything else to do, go do it. I\'ll handle this."

I shooed away the soldier who was setting up the tent and finished building the shelter alone. When it was done, it looked quite decent. The experience I gained from running and struggling after losing everything hadn\'t gone to waste.

As I was inspecting the finished tent, Chaos approached.

"Here, this pole. It would be better to drive it deeper into the ground."

Chaos was the only one idling while everyone else was busy with their tasks.

Even if he worked in his childlike form, it wouldn\'t be of much help. I had no complaints about him just staying still.

But.

"Isn\'t this your first time setting up a tent? The ground is soft, so it might come loose."

Should I just give him one good punch?