Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 598: The Northern Sea (1)

As dawn broke after a day had passed, Yuri stepped out of her quarters and hurried forward.

The message had come from the Crimson Feather. He had summoned her to his quarters immediately.

“Could it be?”

Her pace quickened. He had said he’d think about it for a day—could he have already made a decision?

“I was still trying to find a way to persuade him.”

The sudden news came as she was searching for alternatives, fearing rejection. Yuri forced herself to calm her erratic breathing.

She couldn’t afford to show impatience. Even if much had already been exposed, she needed to maintain composure.

How far had she walked like this? Perhaps because of her haste, she found herself arriving at the destination sooner than expected.

As she entered the quarters, she noticed a group gathered in the courtyard.

Yuri approached them.

“You’re here.”

The young man known as the Crimson Feather glanced at Yuri as she approached.

“I thought you’d be late, but you came quickly.”

“How could I dare be late?”

“Spare me the flattery. It’s not going to get you anything.”

His tone was sharp and insolent, as always. Yuri wanted nothing more than to give him a good smack, but this wasn’t the time.

“Hm?”

Forcing herself to maintain a neutral expression, she looked at him more closely. Something seemed off.

“He looks tired.”

The Crimson Feather’s face bore clear signs of fatigue, particularly around his eyes.

Had something happened during the night? Yuri wondered but chose not to ask. That wasn’t the priority right now.

As Yuri observed him with a peculiar gaze, the Crimson Feather spoke.

“What did you say yesterday?”

“Pardon?”

“What exactly do you need me to do in the Northern Sea?”

“...Ah...!”

Hearing the question, Yuri’s eyes widened.

“Be precise. Make it clear.”

“...Travel to the Northern Sea and lift the curse on the Lord of the Palace.”

“And nothing else?”

“...Yes.”

After hearing her answer, the Crimson Feather stroked his chin as if deep in thought. Then, after a brief moment, he spoke again.

“If there’s even the slightest issue with safety, I’ll cancel the request and return.”

The firm tone left Yuri momentarily speechless.

“Additionally, if I determine that lifting the curse is impossible after meeting the Palace Lord, I’ll return immediately.”

“...”

“My orders are absolute, and until the request is completed, I am the leader of the group. Do you accept these terms?”

The meaning was clear:

If trouble arises, he’ll leave.

If the curse can’t be lifted, he’ll leave.

Until the request is complete, he’s in charge, and his word is final.

It was evident this wasn’t the language of someone wholeheartedly accepting a request.

The stipulation of absolute obedience to his commands was especially concerning.

But...

“...I... accept.”

Yuri had no other choice.

What mattered most right now was that he had agreed to take on the request.

“Additionally, the conditions outlined to the merchant guild must also be fulfilled.”

“...I accept those as well.”

Rejection wasn’t an option. Given that Yuri had chosen to journey to Zhongyuan, this was inevitable.

“Hm.”

Hearing her answer, the Crimson Feather gave a short nod.

“Good. Then I’ll take the request.”

“...!”

At last, the response Yuri had been hoping for. Her face brightened, ready to express her gratitude.

“The job will be done within two months. I don’t have much time.”

“Thank you so much... Wait, what?”

She froze at his words.

“What did you just say?”

“What about it?”

“The time. When did you say you’d finish the request by?”

“Two months.”

The Crimson Feather replied matter-of-factly, causing Yuri to let out a brief sigh.

“I thought I misheard... Are you saying it’ll take two months just to travel there? That seems tight, but—”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

The Crimson Feather frowned.

“I said the entire job will be done in two months. Who said it’d take two months just to get there? Are you insane?”

“No...!”

His irritated tone made Yuri’s expression twist with frustration.

“You’re the one being ridiculous! If you don’t want to go, just say so!”

Traveling from here to the Northern Sea alone would take at least two months.

Given the restrictions on entering and exiting the Northern Sea, they’d have to use a secret route, which would add even more time.

Even without complications, the journey alone would take months. To say the entire task could be completed in two months was absurd.

To Yuri, it felt like outright mockery.

“Even so, how can you—”

“Sorry.”

The Crimson Feather interrupted her, cutting off her anger.

“I don’t have the luxury of spending several months on this.”

Her anger was understandable, given the situation.

“If I say I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Stop nagging.”

But he didn’t have the time to argue or explain.

Talking would take too long, and she likely wouldn’t understand anyway.

So instead, he decided to show her.

He raised one hand and spoke calmly.

“Come down.”

“What are you talking about—!”

Yuri tried to retort, but she was interrupted.

Shiiiiiiiik—!!

BOOOOM—!!!

Something massive crashed down in front of her, shaking the ground violently as a gust of wind exploded outward.

“Milady—!”

Startled by the sudden commotion, Ubeom and Wooseok stepped forward to shield Yuri, adopting defensive stances.

Hooooooosh—!

A sudden wind swept away the dust, clearing the air in moments.

As the dust settled, Yuri, trying to calm her pounding heart, saw—

“...Gasp...!!”

A massive crater in the ground.

And within the wreckage, something was moving.

Rrrrrrrrr...

It was enormous, its body covered in gleaming blue scales. Its fierce, twisted face and glowing blue eyes radiated menace.

It was a beast. No—a monster.

The most terrifying creature Yuri had ever seen.

Far beyond any demonic beast she had encountered before, this was an overwhelmingly dominant existence.

“What is that...?”

Clutching her trembling shoulders, Yuri stared at the beast, wide-eyed.

“Ah, damn it.”

A voice cursed nearby—it was the Crimson Feather. He glanced around and then—

Smack!

Grrrrrng—!!

He struck the beast’s head with such force that it jerked to the side, letting out a pained growl.

“Didn’t I tell you to come down quietly? Look at this mess.”

Grrrr... grrr...

“Don’t even start. Are you going to clean this up? You? With those puny hands?”

Grrr...

“Excuses, huh? Your tiny hands are as useless as your tiny brain!”

Thud! Thud!

He swatted the beast repeatedly, his irritation clear. The massive creature whimpered under his blows.

Watching this absurd scene, Yuri was left utterly speechless.

******************

Watching the stubborn creature offer endless excuses, I sighed deeply.

“You think I don’t know you’re just trying to show off?”

I had explicitly told it to come down quietly, yet here it was, basking in the attention.

“No wonder my aura reserves drained faster than usual earlier.”

It had clearly bulked up for dramatic effect. Who had it learned this behavior from?

“Did I ever teach you to act like this? Huh?”

Grrrr...

“Oh, so that’s a yes? You little—”

It was clearly in some rebellious phase, utterly defiant. I raised my hand to strike it again, but—

“...Uh...um...uh...”

Behind me, I heard someone stammering awkwardly. Turning, I saw Yuri staring at me with wide eyes, her mouth agape.

Her expression was priceless—utterly shocked, as if she’d just witnessed the impossible.

“What...what is that?”

Regaining some semblance of composure, Yuri managed to point at the creature with a trembling hand.

“What is it?” I repeated her question and answered plainly.

“A mount.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s a mount.”

It was far faster than a carriage, could bypass obstacles, and would get me to the Northern Sea in no time.

That was this creature’s purpose.

“This is my only option.”

If I wanted to complete everything within two months, I needed a fast means of travel.

Fortunately, I had just the thing—a creature capable of unrivaled speed. Though it required me to retrieve it from Hubei alongside Cheol Ji-seon.

“Ji-seon said he’d gotten stuck in Hubei, didn’t he?”

It couldn’t be helped. A necessary sacrifice.

He’d figure things out on his own. Right now, I had more urgent matters to handle.

“With this creature, though...”

I didn’t know exactly how far the Northern Sea was, but on this mount, it wouldn’t take long.

Despite its insatiable appetite and stubbornness, as a mount, it was unparalleled in value.

The problem?

“...You...you expect us to ride that?”

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The reactions around me weren’t exactly promising. Yuri’s response was, of course, the most dramatic.

Even the others nearby—Tang So-yeol and Moyong Hee-ah—looked equally stunned. This was their first time seeing the creature, after all.

Incidentally, Lady Mi wasn’t present. I had specifically requested her to stay behind the previous night.

“Not that it helped—running around all night left me completely drained.”

The situation with Pildu-ma had ended with him reluctantly accepting my orders, though it left a sour aftertaste.

“Why did he suddenly bring up the Fallen Honor back there?”

It didn’t make sense. But once I affirmed his role, Pildu-ma had agreed to carry out his tasks without further objections.

I hadn’t placed any restrictions on him. Imposing constraints didn’t seem appropriate for the circumstances.

Still, I’d asked Nahi to keep an eye on him. If anything went wrong—

“Kill him.”

That was the standing order. If he couldn’t be used, he had to be eliminated. For now, that was the best precaution I could take.

Now, the only thing left to do—

“Reach the Northern Sea and check on Namgung Bi-ah’s condition.”

The Palace Lord, the Northern Sea, their future—none of that mattered to me. My sole purpose was to confirm Bi-ah’s state.

The Northern Sea was just an excuse.

What happened to the Palace Lord or his palace? Not my concern.

As I finalized my plans, Moyong Hee-ah approached, wearing an expression similar to Yuri’s.

“Young Master...what is this exactly?”

She gestured toward the creature with evident unease. I explained nonchalantly.

“A stray I picked up and raised.”

“Picked up...?”

Her expression grew even more complicated.

“No matter how you look at it, it’s a demonic beast.”

“That it is.”

“And you...raised a demonic beast?”

She looked utterly incredulous.

Taming demonic beasts had been an impossible task for centuries, even for the most renowned martial sects. For me to casually present one was understandably shocking.

“Anything can be tamed if you hit it enough.”

I smiled as I spoke, choosing not to elaborate further. Now wasn’t the time for detailed explanations.

The reason I’d even called Moyong Hee-ah here was simple:

“She was going to see it eventually. Better to prepare her now.”

It was about getting her used to it.

Thankfully, she seemed to understand.

“Haah...”

Realizing the situation, she sighed deeply—a perfect response.

Then—

“Wait...are you saying...we’re riding this thing?”

Yuri’s trembling voice broke the silence.

“Are you telling me we’re traveling to the Northern Sea on this...monster?”

“Monster? Watch your words. You’ll hurt its feelings.”

“Hurt its...feelings?”

Yuri froze at my comment, her ears faintly turning red. Why were her ears red? What was going on?

“No, but seriously...we’re riding that to the Northern Sea?”

“Yes.”

“That’s absurd. How can we possibly—”

“Didn’t I already tell you?”

Her protests were becoming tiresome. I cut her off mid-sentence.

“If you don’t like it, leave.”

“...!”

“If you won’t follow my lead, then get lost.”

I had said it from the beginning: if she questioned my authority, the deal was off.

I didn’t have the luxury to waste time on pointless debates.

Putting weight behind my voice, I watched as Yuri bit her lip.

“...I apologize. I...momentarily lost my focus.”

Her decision was swift. She knew there were no alternatives.

With slow, deliberate steps, she walked forward.

“Shall I board now?”

Her acceptance was equally quick. Yesterday, when she’d slapped herself to regain composure, I’d noticed this trait of hers—a willingness to adapt swiftly.

As she approached the creature, her bodyguards, Wooseok and Ubeom, tried to intervene.

“Milady—! It’s too dangerous—”

I released a wave of pressure, silencing them.

Whoosh—!

“Ugh—!”

“Ack—!”

They staggered under the force, and I spoke coldly.

“This is where you stop.”

“W-what do you mean...?”

“You’re excess baggage.”

Weight aside, I had no intention of bringing unnecessary cargo.

“You can’t seriously mean to send her off alone!”

“Exactly.”

“That’s unacceptable—!”

“Hah...”

I sighed. Of course, they wouldn’t accept it.

But—

“And what if you don’t?”

“...!!”

“You want me to kill you and leave?”

This wasn’t a warning. If they resisted again, I would kill them without hesitation.

As I flexed my fingers, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Yuri stepped in to calm the situation.

“...Ubeom, Wooseok. I’ll be fine.”

“Milady...!”

“I’ve accepted the terms of the contract. His words are in line with my decision.”

“...”

Her firm tone silenced them.

“I’m sorry to leave you behind in an unfamiliar land.”

“Don’t worry about us—”

“Enough drama. Just get on.”

Grabbing Yuri, I tossed her onto the mount.

“Kyaaa—!”

She screamed as she flew through the air but landed safely on the creature’s back.

“It’s me, her, Tang So-yeol, and Seong Yul. That’s it.”

I pointed to each of them in turn. That was the smallest group I could manage.

Satisfied, I climbed aboard.

Then I noticed something odd.

Behind Seong Yul, there was...someone else.

A head popped out from the shadows and stared at me.

“Why haven’t we left yet?”

It was the Paejon.