Arena-Chapter 115 – Chase (Part 2)

While we moved together, Odin and I were a great help to each other.

Odin’s current mission was to investigate the dark magicians that attacked the Brown Mountain elves.

The main culprit who facilitated that attack was the middle aged dark magician John Omento.

Then that means that capturing John Omento would be enough to satisfy the requirements of Odin’s mission.

I have met John Omento.

But was that all?

I didn’t just meet him. I fought for my life against him. He put me in danger by using his weird fog changing technique.

We may not know where John Omento was but what was known was what direction he was in.

The guider skill!

If I have seen the person or object once, this skill would allow me to know which direction it was in.

It’s just entry level 1 so I can only tell the general direction but that was enough to track it.

Eventually, thanks to this, Odin would be able to clear his mission.

But what good was that to me?

That I don’t need to explain.

What was there to fear when someone as strong as Odin was with me?

When fighting a corrupt examinee, Odin would be a big help.

We were moving together but we didn’t rush it.

“For the moment let’s rest here. I have to meet the members of the Nordic exam group.”

“Sure, there’s no need to rush.”

Both Odin and I have an unlimited exam time, so there was no need to rush.

After that, guests began to come visit the Count of Wolfenbrooke. They were examinees from the Nordic exam group.

They picked up the comm device and synthetic muscle suits and left to commence their exams.

While these many examinees came and left, a month passed.

“My lord, Baroness Johanna has arrived.”

During our meal a maid came and told us quietly. Odin said,

“Let her in and prepare another serving.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Baroness Johanna?

‘No way......’

Exactly.

The beautiful blonde that appeared in the dining hall, saw me and twinkled her blue eyes and raced towards me.

“Hyun-ho!”

It was Marie Johanna.

Pat!

‘Huk!’

In a split second she closed the gap and hugged me.

Reactively, I felt as I’ve been ambushed. It must be true that she mastered a skill related to assassination.

“Have you been well?”

“Yeah.”

“And you haven’t been hurt?”

“Once. But I’m okay now that I’ve seen you.”

With her twinkling giant eyes, she’s so cute.

The way I treat my spirits, I pet her and gave her a flame of life.

As the flame seeped into her head and Marie became like a cat taking a nap.

“Marie, what is your mission this time?”

Asked Odin.

Marie replied.

“Kill a necromancer at the 5th circle superior rank or higher.”

“Again?”

Odin frowned.

She had the mission to kill a dark magician last time which was how she got cursed.

“That’s good!”

I said and the two turned to look at me.

“There’s John Omento.”

“Right!”

Odin turned his mood around.

“John Omento? Who is that?”

Marie tilted her head.

Odin took out the copied picture of the wanted poster of John Omento from his coat.

“It’s this asshole. He attacked the Brown Mountain with an army of undead so he should be at least a 5th circle.”

Marie stared at the wanted poster sketch and placed it into her coat.

“I think it’ll be good for you to move with us. Odin has to find a dark magician anyway.”

“Yes. Marie, come with us for our missions.”

“Hyun-ho too?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe, I like Hyun-ho.”

Marie looked at me and giggled like an idiot.

...... well, no matter her mental state, she would, no doubt, make a strong ally

Even after Marie joined the group. Every now and then members of the Nordic exam group continued to visit, taking comm devices and synthetic muscle suits.

Every day, I made a flame of life and gave one to Marie and gave the other one to the spirits.

Nearly another month passed by.

“My lord!”

Raced in a soldier. A familiar soldier, one that guarded the front gate.

‘So who came this time?’

I didn’t give it much thought.

“What is it?”

“A strange woman is looking for you my lord.”

“A strange woman?”

“Yes, she appears to be a ragged commoner but she insists on meeting you my lord. We tried to chase her away but she is standing her ground......”

Odin nodded his head.

“Well bring her in.”

“Sir? But she is a suspicious woman, even carrying weapons.....”

“Are those weapons happen to be two curved swords?”

I asked.

The soldier’s eyes went round.

“Oh, how did you know, Baron Kim...”

“It is someone I know so bring her in immediately.”

The soldier looked to Odin. Odin nodded his head.

“Be courteous to her while you bring her in.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldier raced back out.

Odin laughed as he said,

“Thank goodness that Cha Ji-hye has come as well. It was worth waiting.”

“I agree.”

A bit later, Cha Ji-hye came in, escorted by the soldier.

It’s no wonder the soldiers found her suspicious.

Cha Ji-hye was quite the site.

She must have spent quite a lot of time camping outdoors, her clothes were worn out and the two curved swords at her hilt were very noticeable.

“Nice to see you.”

Cha Ji-hye greeted us with an absent expression.

With a surprised face, Odin asked,

“I heard you were in the south of the continent in the tropical swamps, you got here faster than expected.”

“In the middle, I stole a horse and rode here. On account of being chased, it was a rigorous voyage.”

At Cha Ji-hye’s bold journey, I felt a sense of preposterousness.

Was she some sort of outlaw?

Cha Ji-hye continued to say to Odin,

“More importantly, I am in need of clothes and knights armor.”

“......”

The great Odin was taken aback.

The clothes sure, but requesting it like it was a given, to get a set of knights armor. Just how brazen was she?

Thankfully Cha Ji-hye offered a detailed explanation.

“My mission this exam is to become a renowned knight in the area.”

“Oh, that’s why?”

“I thought of you and immediately came here.”

“That is good. If I give you knight’s armor, you will clear your mission right away.”

“What kind of missions did the rest of you receive?”

I told her about our missions and that we decided to all move together.

Cha Ji-hye pondered this for a moment, then nodded her head.

“I will join as well.”

“You too, miss Cha Ji-hye? Is there such a need? If I give you the armor, you will clear it right away.”

“If I clear it that easily, I’ll probably get a tiny amount of karma.”

Cha Ji-hye continued to say,

“The mission told me to become acknowledge as a great knight. If I move with you all and provide aid, it is possible to clear the exam with a good score. Also......”

Cha Ji-hye looked at me.

“I wanted to join with you in the Arena as fast as I could.”

At that, Marie suddenly stuck herself next to me and with a contesting gaze, stared at Cha Ji-hye.

“If you would help us, that is all the better.”

I replied.

Marie didn’t seem to like that response of me because she stabbed me in the side with her elbow. What is with this woman?

Odin nodded his head.

“Good. Then we shall journey together. First I’ll give you the synthetic muscle suit and comm device. We will rest for a few days and then depart.”

Like that, the four of us became a team.

***

We raced on horses and arrived at the Brown Mountain.

When we reached the Zelkova village, the elves welcomed us warmly.

“Kim is back already!”

“Didn’t he say he was going to go find a wife?”

“Huh? Look that that, there are two women.”

“He has already got two women?”

“Kim is talented.”

“Then again, Kim is amazing.”

The elves theorized amongst themselves in a chatter. Suddenly the rumor spread that I’m a playboy that managed to find two wives in less than two months.

Marie was stuck to me like glue and seemed like she didn’t know how to be apart from me and this ended up making the misunderstanding even worse.

Eventually when I met the mothers......

“Congratulations on your wedding, Kim.”

“Huh? Oh, no, I’m still a ......”

There wasn’t even a chance for me to explain.

The eldest mother looked pleased and placed a wooden ring on my finger.

“When I heard you had returned with wives I hastily prepared this. It is a wood ring made from the Tree of Life so regard it preciously.”

“Uh, but......”

“Ho ho, here, one for each of the wives too.”

Upon hearing the word “wives” Marie quickly received the ring and placed it on her finger and smiled giddily. Okay well this girl is an idiot so whatever.

But Cha Ji-hye also took the wood ring and innocently placed it on her finger as well.

“And just why are YOU taking the ring?”

What’s wrong with this one!

“It is difficult to refuse their sincerity. Let’s just be married.”

“Since when did you care about this?”

“Mr. Hyun-ho, you are the elves’ savior. Being your wife is favorable to me.”

“But then, that makes me a man that married two women in two months!”

“It makes you look capable.”

“Stop saying stuff that doesn’t make sense and......” ｆ𝘳e𝒆w𝗲𝐛𝘯𝐨νe𝚕.cｏ𝓶

“It would be bothersome to explain.”

Cha Ji-hye brazenly turned her head away and ignored me.

“Kuuk!”

In the midst of all this, Marie was showering me with affection, stuck to my side.

“Hehe, I’m Hyun-ho’s wife.”

“......”

I just ended up giving up and accepted it. Whatever happens will happen.

After this fuss ended, I explained to the eldest mother why I returned here.

“You want to inspect the zombies?”

“Yes, we are planning on tracking down that dark magician.”

“Shall I call my husband?”

“No, we are just looking is all, so.”

“Well, be careful.”

We left right away.

We headed for the cliff on the southwest side that the zombies climbed up on before.

Due to the zombies being gone now, there were no veteran warriors guarding this place.

“Shall we?”

I jumped down the cliff first.

“Go together!”

Marie chased after me and jumped down.

Odin and Cha Ji-hye followed and started their descent.

“Sylph!”

-Meow.

“Can you catch us before we hit the ground?”

-Meow.

Sylph nodded her head.

“Kyaah!”

Marie looked as if she’s enjoy a bungee jump and was giggling.

The gorge at the bottom looked as it did before, blazed.

The fire scorched earth.

It’s from when Derrick combined with his Kasa and turned it into a sea of flames.

“It’ll be difficult to find a whole zombie.”

Said Odin as he looked around the surroundings.

“Yes but if we search carefully, there should be a trace somewhere. Sylph?”

-Meow?

“Bring zombie corpses to where we are.”

Then Sylph nodded her head and flew off somewhere.

Sylph wandered the gorge speedily and gathered zombie corpses.

There wasn’t a single zombie left with arms or legs but there were plenty of small pieces of clothing left even after the fire and some heads.

Marie frowned at the bad smell.

“Let’s look.”

We inspected the zombies.

Marie looked at the zombie wreckage and said,

“The Aman Empire.”

“Aman Empire?”

I asked quizzically.

Odin nodded his head.

“It is a country in the western of the continent. It is a powerful nation that long ago ruled over the entire continent. Are you sure they are people from Aman empire?”

Marie nodded her head.

Odin said,

“Marie has been to many countries. She would not be wrong.”

“Then we have to go to the Aman Empire.”

A country in the west of the continent......

It’s going to be a long trip.