Etranger - Chapter 123

On the fifth day, they completed a master plan. The plan was simple yet meticulously detailed.

Through intense discussion and planning, they organized their priorities and confirmed their respective roles.

Rain took a deep breath. For the first time in a long while, she was able to now able to ‘visually’ situate herself atop a ‘giant chessboard’. Her realization of her own position in relation to all the other variables around her gave her a sense of freedom and confidence.

Internally, she made a promise to herself, ‘Never again… I will never again speak of myself as a genius. Discussing with others openly without prejudice leads to tremendous enlightenment. Also… I might even be able to survive…’

After seeing the overall plan, Rain couldn’t help but feel a light shining at the end of a dark tunnel.

***

The morning sun rose through the clouds in the garden and glistened dazzlingly on the pure white flower petals. The rolling morning fog seemed to extend as far as the eye could see. It was as if the fog was welcoming a new day for the villagers as its cooling presence rolled into and mixed in with the living.

Leaves are passing by, and water droplets are flying through the air…

Vines and roots tangle our ankles and try to block our footsteps, trying to give us a chance to catch our breath and enjoy a moment of respite…

Roe deer run, and larks fly overhead…

A baby goat jumps with playfulness in the paddy fields beyond the bushes.

Go! A thousand miles! Go through it all.

I will go to my land while breathing in the dust.

The moon goes beyond the clouds in the flickering night sky…

With the sound of the babbling brook whispers in my ear…

Don’t sleep, wake up. Don’t stop and continue…

Live through the dark night until a new morning comes.

Go! Onward on the thousand-mile road.

I will go to my land while breathing in the dust.

– From Episode 285, Kim, Min-Gi, the great minstrel, ‘On the Thousand Mile Road’

***

The bright sun’s warming rays shimmered on the morning dew that enveloped the fields. The sound of lyrical humming rang out from a specific patch of the road.

A caravan with five warriors in the front, two wagons in the middle, and more than 20 warriors on horseback were slowly making their way down the road.

The sun was becoming prickly and hot. The road seemed to stretch out persistently.

As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, the ground quickly heated up.

The dry wind that blew from the west was already making the people’s throats parch.

(e09_04)

The party passed the borders of the Pibuno Principality and additionally passed through several estates and cities. They crossed rough mountain ranges and valleys. At this moment, they were passing through an arid piece of land. They were entering the ‘Forgotten Country’.

The land was overgrown with weeds that grew in dry areas. Red, rocky mountains stood tall on both sides, and in front, cactus-like plants seemed to form a sparse, lonely community.

“Forgotten Country…”

***

San muttered as he dusted off the fine dust that accumulated on his clothes. The large particles of dust seemed old and crumbled into a fine powder, even with the slightest of touches.

San clapped his hands together to release the remaining dust on his hands. He narrowed his eyes and looked forward.

In the distance, he could barely make out an old fashion looking building. At one point in time, it must have been a grand and majestic building, but it had suffered all kinds of weather-related erosion over the years, so it looked gray with dirty plastered walls.

Only the part that reflected the morning sunlight shone white.

‘It seems the reconnaissance is a bit cumbersome…’

San was sitting on a small rock by the roadside and waiting for Biyeon. She had moved ahead to scout and do reconnaissance.

“We’re going to be cursed…” Gun, who was resting in the back, muttered to himself.

His face was caked in dirt. By his side, Seyum smacked his lips as if unsatisfied with something. Segyum did the same.

“Why did we stray away from the main road and come down this one? Also, why here of all places…”

“Hmm… should we go back?” Seyum said while clucking his tongue.

“Are you scared, Giyoung?” Gibin asked.

“To be honest, yes…” Giyoung answered in a low voice while wiggling her fingers, not knowing what to do with herself.

“I’m having fun. My whole body is filled to the brim with excitement!”

“Really?” Giyoung raised her head and looked at her elder clansmen.

“This is what a real adventure should be like. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Gibin clenched his fists and took a long, deep breath. Giyoung continued looking at the gray building in front with anxiety.

“No need to be anxious.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you realize after going through so much with them? They don’t do things that they can’t achieve. If they were stupid, I wouldn’t have followed them.”

“Even so…”

“Stop! Even those crewmembers from the countryside are resolute. Let’s not forget the spirit we should have as Ki-Jang clansmen!”

“Yes…”

In another area of the caravan…

“Who would have imagined that we’d come to a place that we’ve only heard in legends and myths? What do you think, Yeria?” Rain said as she let out a small sigh. She then glanced at Yeria who was rummaging through her bags and calculating something aloud.

“…”

Yeria didn’t answer. It seemed she didn’t hear what Rain said.

Though she learned how to do the calculations through Biyeon’s tough love lessons, Yeria had to put a lot of concentration in order to properly finish her calculations.

Rain stared at Yeria blankly. She reminded herself that she had to do the calculations as well. What she could do for the caravan was administrative work, since that was what she was best at.

She initially wondered what kind of work necessitated calculation and analysis on this trip, but she soon understood.

The number of things that needed to be calculated and analyzed was endless. Measuring and surveying the local area, organizing cultural geographic details and features of the surrounding townships and people, sorting and collecting data observed and collected by the crew…

‘All this must be needed later on…’ Rain thought.

“Worst case, we’d only die, right?” Yeria stated as she raised her head. She had just completed her calculations.

Instead of answering her immediately, Rain bit her lips. She was shocked at Yeria’s casual approach regarding such a dire end. However, Rain was more shocked at her own reaction, which was to agree lightheartedly, ‘Yeah, it’s just death’. She had changed throughout the trip.

In another area of the caravan…

“What are we going to do? It’s difficult to go out any further. We must go back now.”

Gatan, the general of the merchant group’s escort guard, said to Dobel, the merchant group’s leader.

“I don’t know…”

Dobel stroked his beard. He was conflicted. His gaze followed the road that stretched ahead. Like an open fan, the relatively wide road that they were currently traversing seemed to narrow ahead, leading up to a single, huge gate.

The topography ahead led downward like a staircase, and if one traversed this downward path between the cliffs on either side, one would be faced with a stone gate. Once one entered this road, one could not go any other way.

Behind the gate was a mysterious realm known as the ‘Forbidden Grounds’. Dobel saw both opportunity and crisis if they chose to go down this path. His merchant instincts were kicking in. Merchants looked for valuables and opportunities for arbitrage. The greater the risk, the greater the cost, and usually, the greater the payoff.

The man and woman who were leading the caravan seemed to have seen something here. They were the ones who demonstrated unwavering leadership and heroic combat abilities.

Doyo, Dobel’s niece, stared ahead while squirming her hands. Her gaze was filled with anxiety and anticipation. She looked towards San and awaited his words. San had long ago become a source of stability and confidence for not only her but the entire caravan.

***

Forgotten Grounds.

A place abandoned by humans.

No one knew when it was built or when its people lived.

One undeniable fact was that it was an ancient place. Legend had it that it was built hundreds of thousands of years ago. Although it may have been abandoned by its original inhabitants, the name lived on.

It was widely known that there were four places like the Forbidden Grounds in this world. They contained buildings constructed by humans, but no one knew of their purpose or reason. There were probably thousands of rumors about these places.

Some of them may be rooted in truth, but most of them were fictions created by the imaginations and legends of the minstrels and bards, those who told the stories of yesteryear heroes.

Three things were for certain…

First, the Forbidden Grounds was a very dangerous place. Second, that no power has ever been able to occupy this area since the beginning of documented human history. Lastly, no adventurers had heard of anyone successfully coming out after entering the area.

However, legends and myths of unknown origin were constantly created, so who knew what the reality was. Some were created by people’s imaginations, others expounded on the objects that came from this place. Furthermore, people called ‘Sages’ spread stories about this place, warning people against entering these areas. Some stories of these places were mentioned in religious scriptures and parables. Others proclaimed the areas as secret ritual sites.

Legend had it that this area dated back to a time when a powerful tribe called the ‘Iron People’ ruled the lands. The surrounding lands were not a desert as it was today, but rather an abundant, lush forest with many lakes.

The architectural remains were said to be one of the mysterious temples of the Iron People, which had withstood the millennia of time. The Iron People were said to be the second race to seize hegemony and absolute rule over this world after the Golden Empire of the legendary era. The Iron People were said to refer to themselves as ‘Guardians’.

They were supposedly granted a special talent after the Creator requested them to protect the world from an evil god from another world. However, the Iron People became too arrogant about their lofty standing and eventually carried out experiments on humans. And, gaining some powers of the Creator, they chose to become gods themselves.

Thus, they began to conquer the human world.

It was said that the Iron People were able to create magical devices that exhibited great power. Their creations were built with unquenchable fire and mysterious iron and were strong enough to contend against dragons.

However, their actions soon brought the Creator’s wrath. It was said that when the destruction of the world was imminent because of the Iron People’s actions, the Creator descended onto the world, united the separate human powers, and defeated the Iron People.

From then on, the world of humans, of the common people, started its reign.

San took something out of his pocket and started flipping them over in his hand while he waited for Biyeon. They were items that he had purchased at an antique shop in Kurant.

It was a very old object that was claimed to have come from the ancient relics in the Forbidden Grounds. However, no one knew what it was or what it was used for.

‘An American coin… ten-cent dimes… several of them… what the hell is in this world?’