"... Huh?"
It's absurd.
It's unbelievable.
Kim Jangcheol moved his eyes, shaking, like Assistant Manager Kim, who had just heard that dinner would be a late-night shift at 5:50 PM. And he slowly read again the words on the flag in the plaza that he had just discovered and witnessed.
"Welcome... to... the Capital...?"
Capital... Marnika?
Ah.
It must be some kind of Kimpap Festival in the capital far away. That's why they've put dozens of promotional flags like that even in local city squares like Daparachia, right?
That... that must be it, right?
That... must be it, right?
'...No, it's not!'
For a moment, Kim Jangcheol's thought process tried to go into denial mode, but it slammed to a stop. Then, an urgent reality check punched him in the forehead.
'Is this... the capital Marnika?'
Finally, reality hit him.
The undeniable chill of realization.
"Uh, Lady Artanis?"
-Meow?
"Do you see that?"
Kim Jangcheol hesitantly raised a trembling hand and pointed at the flag.
And he said,
"It looks like, no matter how I see it, this isn't Daparachia, but the capital Marnika."
-........
"Hey?"
-.........
"Hello?"
-...... Ah, I came to the wrong place.
"What do you mean by that right now!"
In the end, he shouted loudly.
And then he thought.
Should I just leave now?
"......."
Right.
That Aged Kimchi said before.
That he was going to the capital with Reivaj. He promised to escort Reivaj to the capital.
That meant, he should be here too. It's been a few months since he parted with him in Daparachia, but there's a good chance he's still here in the capital.
'If we bump into him... that's the end.'
He glanced around.
At that moment, there were quite a few people in the square, where the evening sun had just set. After all, it was the capital's square. It was like Myeong-dong or Gwanghwamun at rush hour in Seoul.
Because of that, numerous people were staring at this unexpected landing in the plaza.
" ..."
No, this is bad.
I should just take off right away.
...Just as he thought that.
-I'm sorry, meow.
Artanis perked up his ears and wrote words in the air.
-You're right, meow. It seems I've mistakenly flown to the wrong capital. But it wasn't intentional, meow. It's been so long that I got confused about the direction for a moment. So please give me another chance, meow.
"Another chance?"
-Yes, meow. I think I can find Daparachia now.
"......"
Hearing that, Kim Jangcheol snapped to attention.
You can really find Daparachia now?
Really?
"........"
No.
I don't think so.
Kim Jangcheol's trust in Artanis' navigation(?) plummeted vertically.
He remembered the few hours he had wasted flying around earlier. If they took off now? It would be exactly the same. He could swear to it.
'Daparachia? There's no way we can find it. Thinking about the mess earlier, getting here to the capital was lucky enough. So...'
Let's just get things done here.
That might be better.
He thought.
'Anyway, we just need to sell the harvest and use the money to buy new seeds. There's a market in the capital, so we'll sell it quickly and leave.'
Then what about the old guy?
After thinking about it, he felt it wasn't something to worry about too much.
'It was months ago when he said he was going to the capital. There's no way he's still here. Besides, the capital is huge. There are so many people here. There's no chance I'll run into him in just a few days, right?'
He calculated and concluded it was true.
Realistically, the chances of running into him were very low. But if they did meet? That would be a scam, a fiction.
That thought eased his mind.
"Lady Artanis? You don't need to apologize. It's fine. Let's just do the work here and leave. Zephyros, Baal? Pack the stuff. Asurat, pack some sacks. Sirgi? Don't spit or make a scene just because people are looking at us."
" ... Pfft!"
"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Let's go quickly. People are staring."
"Pftt!"
He calmed down Sirgi, who was annoyed by the sudden insult, and led the group out of the plaza. They found a cheap inn after asking around and rented a room.
Unexpectedly, Asurat and Sirgi were placed in the stable. The rest of the group was assigned a humble but cozy room.
"Whoo...."
As they unpacked their things in the musty, moldy room, Kim Jangcheol felt his tension slowly easing... until the moment came.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone was knocking on the door.
And the innkeeper's voice came from beyond the door.
"Are you in? A guest has come to visit."
"..."
A guest?
What could this be about?
'I don't know anyone here in the capital.'
'Who... is it?'
He opened the door.
And beyond it was...
"Haha, it's been a long time, Sir Kim Jangcheol."
A very handsome young man with silver hair greeted him with a bright smile.
It was a face so stunning it looked like it was taken from a movie. The same old companion, the Young Master, Reivaj.
".....Hikyaaa!"
As soon as Kim Jangcheol saw Reivaj, a shrill scream burst from his throat, as if it broke through seven octaves and pierced the inn's roof.
His eyes shook in a 16-bit rhythmic pattern, of course.
'W-What about Aged Kimchi?'
His eyes frantically searched behind Reivaj's shoulder. Then he looked to the side.
He couldn't see Aged Kimchi.
But it wasn't time to relax yet. He looked all around the hallway, staring at the ceiling. He crouched down and carefully examined the floor.
He couldn't see Aged Kimchi.
Still, it was too early to relax. He searched between Reivaj's hair, opened his mouth, and checked inside as well.
"....Eum, ahh, ooh?"
Reivaj's mouth was forcibly opened, and he stepped back with a bewildered look. Then, his servant, who was next to him, began to interpret(?).
"Our Young Master says, what are you doing right now?"
"...."
Finally, his senses returned.
And he realized.
Was I acting like some paranoid delusional person just now? No, that can't be it. But I'm not that bad. It's just that I might have gotten a little worried, which is understandable, right?
"... Ahem! It's been so long since we've met, I got a little too excited. It's good to see you again, Young Master Reivaj."
"I'm glad to see you too, Sir Kim Jangcheol. I heard rumors about the group landing in the plaza on a giant bird, so I came running to check if it was true. Now that I see, the rumors about your group are indeed true."
Reivaj smiled widely and extended his hand for a handshake. Kim Jangcheol, almost reflexively, took his hand. But even then, he still couldn't feel at ease.
"By the way... where is that Aged Kimchi, no, Sir...?"
Where could he be?
Is that monster nearby?
Reivaj, who had no idea of Kim Jangcheol's restless emotions, spoke with a sorrowful expression.
"It's been months since I've seen him."
"... Huh? Then, no way?"
"Oh, no, Sir Aged Kimchi hasn't left. He's at our mansion. But he's been holed up in the special training area underground for months and hasn't come out at all."
"Special... training area?"
"Yes. He said he found a higher level he wanted to reach. After he said that, he went into the training area, and we haven't heard from him since. I've gone a few times to bring food to his door, but he never answered."
"So, this time, we won't be able to see Sir Aged Kimchi, 'unfortunately'?"
"Probably not. Really unfortunate."
"Yeah, it's really unfortunate, haha, haha."
He was alive.
Really alive.
And finally, at ease.
But then, Reivaj said something that hit like a thunderbolt.
"But if you really want to, Sir Kim Jangcheol, I can go to the training area and tell Sir Aged Kimchi that you've come to the capital. Maybe he'll stop training for a moment and come out to see you..."
"... Huh? What?"
"How about it?"
"No, no, no. That's not a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Ugh. He's been training hard for months. You can't just drag him out like that, interrupt his training, that would be a nuisance, a real nuisance. Ugh, we can meet his face next time. Isn't that right?"
"Well, thinking about it, Sir Kim Jangcheol's words make sense..."
"Right?"
"It seems so, haha."
... Phew.
Finally, his mind was at ease.
'This makes me even more at ease.'
Actually, he felt more comfortable than before. Now that he knew where Aged Kimchi was and what he was doing, it made a world of difference.
It's almost like...
Not knowing where the man-eating tiger is, but then confirming that the tiger is at home cooking cheese rice cakes and going for a drink—that's how much more at ease he felt.
At that moment.
"Hey, Sir Kim Jangcheol? Are you still on your mission from the King?"
A sudden question from Reivaj, stabbing right into his ear.
What did that mean?
Kim Jangcheol nodded at first.
Then, a look of regret passed over Reivaj's face.
"Ah, still... I see."
Reivaj added.
"Actually, if you were free, I was planning to invite you to our mansion."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. To be honest, I haven't been able to repay the favor you did me."
"Huh? Favor?"
"Don't you remember the chuno from last time? Back in Daparachia..."
"Ah? Ahhh."
"I was really grateful. Thanks to the chuno you gave me, I was able to complete my mission for the King. Because of that, our family's honor was raised too. So, I thought..."
He took something out of his pocket and handed it to him.
It was a small pendant.
"This is a mark that signifies that you are an important guest of our family. If you ever need my help, come to the mansion and show this to the butler. Well then."
That was the end of the meeting with Reivaj. He left the inn after exchanging a few more pleasantries, and only then could Kim Jangcheol rest... or not.
-Aged Kimchi... is there someone among the humans that can scare you?
"......"
Reivaj left, and immediately, Artanis' voice appeared in his mind.
Kim Jangcheol shrugged his shoulders.
"Yes. He's incredibly strong."
-Really? That's surprising. How strong must he be for you, the current Demon King, to say that?
"Should I be honest?"
-I'd like that.
"......Well, when you see him, you'll feel like your eyes might go blind."
-Meow?
"When you see his appearance, you'll understand exactly what I mean. Right, Zephyros? Baal?"
"That's right. His outfit... it's incredible..."
"Baal never wants to see that again! My eyes! It feels like they're rotting!"
As soon as he asked, Zephyros and Baal turned pale at just the thought of it.
As Artanis tilted his head, though.
0What do you mean... I still don't understand?
"Just, there's a guy like that. That's all you need to know."
At least, he wasn't lying.
Aged Kimchi's outfit was indeed destructive and terrifying. Although the fact that he was the one who dressed him still made his conscience prickle.
"........"
Next time, should I change his clothes for him?
Then he'll thank me, and I'll earn a little bit of favor from him, and maybe that'll make him a little less dangerous.
'But, well, avoiding him is definitely the best option.'
Kim Jangcheol silently organized his thoughts and threw himself onto the squeaky old bed.
He was so tired today.
He needed a good night's sleep if he was going to sell corn early in the morning tomorrow.
Of course, he didn't know.
The next morning, due to the business in the plaza, he and his group would receive the King's urgent and desperate summons, or a passionate recruitment love call.