When Pia returned, Yoo Seowoo was not on her back. Realizing this, Kang Sihyun felt his heart sink.
What could have gone wrong? Was there a problem with Yoo Seowoo's safety? Did he fall into a trap, or was he kidnapped by an Irregular?
Every negative speculation that one could think of came to mind, dominating his thoughts. Sihyun slowly cleared his throat and called out to Pia.
"Pia, right?"
“Peep!”
Just then, Pia pecked at Sihyun’s head as if scolding him for his silly thoughts.
“Ow!”
Without realizing, Sihyun cried out, then looked at Pia with an aggrieved expression.
“Pia?”
“Peck!”
The fantastical creature puffed out its chest and flapped its wings grandly, as if showing off, making Sihyun hesitate for a moment before finally speaking.
“Did you bring him back safely?”
“Peep!”
“...I see.”
That was reassuring. The proud answer brought him comfort. It was like Pia had scored a perfect hundred on a test, and here he was, wasting his thoughts. Sihyun chuckled to himself a few times before reaching out to pet Pia.
“Well done.”
The sincere praise made the fantastical creature spin around joyfully on the spot. In the quiet, as the creature played around, Sihyun unwittingly smiled. The deafening silence broke, and the intense loneliness dissipated. Only after Pia came did he realize how infinitely anxious and lonely he had been.
He was grateful to the fantastical creature that had come to his side.
However, he needed to be by the side of his companions, who had gone to tackle the Primus. As befitting its name, Pia provided appropriate help in crises, and having it with the group meant unexpected gifts of help in unforeseen circumstances.
“Did you come because you were worried?”
“Peep-peep!”
“Thank you. I’m grateful but…”
It’s time to go. He was about to say this when the fantastical creature pecked at Sihyun's head again. Agh! As there was no one around to see, Sihyun grimaced as Pia pecked, emitting a moan.
“What’s the matter?”
It seemed like there was a complaint, so he asked. Pia, having settled on Sihyun's head, chirped something indecipherable. Peep-peep-peck, Pia-peep, peep-peck! Peck. What on earth are you saying? Even though he understood Pia’s language better than others, this was too much. It was a level that required learning the language of fantastical creatures, so he looked unsure as the creature flew down from his head and transformed into the size of a fist before his eyes. Pia’s eyes and Sihyun’s blue eyes locked.
“Peep-peep-peck!”
“...You mean sleep?”
Sihyun asked uncertainly, tilting his head. Correcting the question, Pia moved up and down once.
“Pia-peep, peep-peck!”
“What?”
“Pia-peep, peep-peck! Peck!”
“…….”
It felt like he was taking a high-level test in Pia-language. Desperate to understand, he analyzed Pia's wing flaps and foot movements, sending a frustrated gaze at the fantastical creature. It wasn’t until the fifth repetition of the same phrase that he finally understood the meaning, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“...You’ll show me if I sleep.”
“Peep-peck!”
Pia circled joyfully around Sihyun, as if confirming that was exactly what it meant. If he slept, he would see the children through his dreams. Now fully understanding Pia’s words, Sihyun looked at the fantastical creature with a mystical gaze. He was truly curious about its nature. Could it possibly be a divine beast?
It was a plausible thought, and he chuckled to himself. If Haru hadn’t brought the fantastical creature from the veranda that night, who knows what would have happened. That special connection formed that night was now manifesting its special power, causing the hesitant Sihyun to close his eyes.
“Peep-peep.”
Pia circled around Sihyun, flapping its wings vigorously. As the fantastical creature’s wings scattered aurora-like dust, Sihyun was able to face the dream the small creature was showing him.
A hand chained up was limply hanging down.
***
The world faded like the light in a photo, turning white before darkness enveloped it. Eventually, the darkness split into three paths, each finding its own color.
Peck-peck!
The fantastical creature was out of sight.
However, hearing the sound, Sihyun knew it was nearby and looked at the tri-split world that Pia
was showing.
“Mr. Hamin, there’s a trap ahead on this path. We might need to turn back.”
“Again? ...How troublesome. Let’s turn back then.”
On one side were Hamin and Jonathan.
“How did this kid end up like this? Hey, golden boy, where are the rest of your team?”
“Ha, ha…”
On another side, Ruth tapped Seowoo’s cheek while he was receiving healing, gasping for breath.
“We’re nearing the end of the maze.”
“Are we there already?”
“It sounds like we’re already there. We’ve been here for two days, it must have been two days. Oh, my poor body…”
And on another side, Aramus was guiding the way while Taeju, included in Hahyuk’s party, patted his back. Sihyun’s heart jolted once. Even though it was a dream, seeing all the members of the party gave him an indescribably uplifting feeling.
Is this really what you’re showing me, Pia?
As he thought this, a peep-peep from Pia sounded. Knowing this was the sound the fantastical creature made when showing off, he smiled thinly and watched the scene Pia was showing.
Hamin’s party avoided the trap and took another path, and Hahyuk’s side reached the end of the maze, finding an escape route. It seemed that having Aramus there helped them make quick progress. And Ruth’s party, carrying an unconscious Seowoo, moved forward.
Was it because it was a dream? He could pinpoint their locations.
Ruth was diligently heading toward the escape route, and Hahyuk and Jonathan were walking in a direction that would lead them to meet Ruth’s party.
Even though the paths were split into three, it seemed like they were structured to meet in the end. Why divide them then? He then realized why Primus had divided the party.
To capture me.
It was all an excuse, a ploy to seal my divine power afterwards and prevent the party from helping me. Such a cunning bastard. Knowing the scheme, he muttered curses, and Pia agreed with a vigorous peep-peep. It was comforting to have someone to curse with.
While Sihyun was cursing Primus, Ruth’s party easily destroyed a trap with just one Ruth, and Jonathan’s party slashed through the Irregulars that sprang from the ground, advancing forward.
And then finally.
“What?”
“...Guild master!”
The two groups met. Ruth, seeing Jonathan run toward him with tears welling up and pushing his face away, looked at Hamin.
“He’s not here either. Where’s your team’s little guy?”
Ruth frowned lightly as he asked about Sihyun’s whereabouts. Hamin clamped his mouth shut, and Jonathan sighed. Detecting something was off from their reaction, a man grabbed Jonathan’s collar.
“You, don’t tell me…”
“He’s behind.”
Hamin explained just before Jonathan could get scolded by Ruth. Behind? Ruth and his party quizzically looked behind Hamin. Naturally, there was no one behind the boy. Hamin saw Seowoo being carried on Ruth’s back, was surprised, then sighed before explaining.
“...His divine power is sealed, so we left him.”
…Is that how you explain it?
Even knowing all the circumstances, Sihyun wanted to hit his chest because of how weird Hamin’s explanation sounded. Fortunately, Jonathan, perhaps understanding his feelings, hurriedly stepped forward to provide a detailed explanation. Jonathan’s explanation, which was a bit too detailed, included everything about how Sihyun’s divine power got sealed, what happened afterwards, and why Sihyun chose to send the party away.
Jonathan had a good memory.
He even perfectly recounted the argument he and Hamin had, acting it out as he reported, making Sihyun momentarily wish he could die.
Can one die of embarrassment?
Why remember such useless things? He muttered, and then it was Hamin’s turn to ask why Yoo Seowoo was here. Then he heard that Pia had brought Seowoo and left, and flew into a rage.
“So you’re saying Kang Sihyun is there alone. That crazy bastard…”
Hamin’s face contorted as if he would return immediately, but someone grabbed his arm, stopping him. Unexpectedly, it was Haru.
“You can’t go.”
“…….”
“The longer the divine power is sealed, the more side effects there will be. It’s better to clear the dungeon quickly than to go help. Pia will be there, so don’t worry unnecessarily.”
The surprisingly calm voice calmed Hamin down.
He’s really grown up.
At first, among the party, he felt like the youngest, and as time passed, he seemed like a peer, but now he truly seemed like an older brother among those kids. It was a moment to feel content.
Bang bang!
A loud and
noisy sound came from the side. Turning his gaze, he saw Jihae furiously pounding a wall with fireballs.
“Good job, Jihae! Exactly like that!”
“…Ah.”
“Could you keep it down?”
Taeju waved his hands to the left and right, cheering on Jihae, and Daun, embarrassed by Jihae’s expression, scolded Taeju. The girl who couldn’t hold back eventually dragged Taeju into it, urging him to do the same.
…Didn’t they say Taeju was Iha Hyuk’s mentor?
Captivating the guild master’s mentor. That was very Daun-like, and even for Daun, was that really okay? He marveled as Taeju joined in, and eventually, the solid wall broke down, revealing a brightly lit path. The ceiling was filled with ornate decorations, and a giant chandelier hung overhead, with a red carpet that seemed made of blood-soaked cloth laid out.
At the end of the path, a massive door awaited the party.
‘The beginning starts when you open the door.’
What seemed like Irregular characters floated in the air as Aramus frowned and read it.
“It must be beyond that wall.”
Finally escaping the maze, they looked at each other’s faces. The discussion continued whether to wait for the other party or to enter first, and Aramus advised that it would be better to enter as a group, causing everyone to pause. Sihyun sighed in relief seeing this. He was worried about what would happen if they decided to enter separately, but Aramus was doing his job very well.
About ten more minutes passed.
“Oh, is this the end?”
Still carrying Seowoo, Ruth reached the end of the maze and looked at Hahyuk’s party, grinning. Finally, the last of the party had joined.
Now they were complete again.
Well, complete without me.
Now the real challenge was starting, so Sihyun drew a deep, tense breath. Peep-peep! Pia made a sound as if to tell him not to be nervous, but even in a dream, his breathing became more rapid.
The situation of not being able to help them was suffocating.
Please.
He had rarely sought a god in his life, but this time, with nothing else he could do, Sihyun muttered to his father as he closed his eyes.
May a victory descend like a blessing.
Now was indeed the time to hope for a miracle.
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