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**Thud, thud.**

According to the guidance of the knight who mentioned an unusual space opening up, the Deputy Director and I were walking outside Rondan.

I initially thought we might gather other troops, but since we were heading into another space, we decided against that.

One of the iron rules of Rondan: don’t step carelessly into unknown spaces.

You could enter and get killed by an outsider, but more often than not, you’d step in and the space would just cut off abruptly.

The issue was that there were almost no ways to return in such cases.

Due to these issues, it was decided that only the two of us would come.

According to the knight, after finishing the patrol to the Gardener’s Garden, we stumbled upon this space while wandering nearby.

At first, he thought he was enchanted and was going to step inside, but quickly snapped back to reality and returned.

The light streaming from inside was said to be extremely captivating, or something like that.

“Was there anything unusual during yesterday’s patrol?”

“Yes, there was definitely no space there up until yesterday.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Absolutely!”

The Deputy Director spoke with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

I could understand why he’d be so sensitive about it.

If he hadn’t checked properly and a space had been left unchecked for days, something might have already snuck in and infiltrated Rondan.

Of course, seeing the knight nod excessively with an expression of utter injustice, it didn’t seem like it was the worst situation.

“Here it is.”

The knight stopped and pointed at a structure resembling a cave.

It looked like just an ordinary natural phenomenon from the outside.

The Deputy Director and I stepped closer and examined the inside of the cave.

“Uh.”

“There’s something in there.”

I could see it.

That strange light.

I couldn’t see it clearly, but it was evident it connected to some other space.

“Hmm.”

The Deputy Director seemed to get lost in thought as he stared quietly at it.

Now that I was about to step into an unfamiliar space for the first time, I fell into an ambiguous mood.

But soon, the Deputy Director steeled his resolve.

It seemed he figured the outsider wouldn’t pose much of a threat, considering I had immunity to them.

“Let’s go in.”

“Deputy Director?!”

The knight exclaimed, surprised as he called for the Deputy Director, but he turned to the knight with a stern expression.

“Please ask the White Mask to assist me for a moment. Now that the mask is gone, it should be fine to act as a face for a bit.”

“But if you were to get hurt…”

“Do you wish for me to get hurt?”

“Uh, no… that’s not what I meant…”

The Deputy Director gave the knight a sweet smile at his nervousness and placed a hand on his shoulder.

With a shocked expression, the knight looked at the Deputy Director.

“In the end, if we remain still, nothing will change. To move forward, such challenges must be accumulated one by one. Isn’t that right?”

…Hearing those words, I looked at the Deputy Director with a slightly surprised expression, and he glanced over at me with a smile that seemed to find it amusing.

I scratched my head, feeling a bit awkward.

I thought I was just saying something offhand.

But after all, it’s rare to find someone as rational and wise as the Deputy Director, maybe he thought it was a decent thing to say, so he remembered it.

After all, the famous quotes we cherish can come from mere offhand comments, can’t they?

No one makes a proverb thinking, “I should create a proverb!”

And despite saying such things, the solid will that he wouldn’t die shone through in his eyes.

Yeah.

I must return alive.

It’s because I’m about to embark on this journey to recover that person’s memory.

“Are you going, Deputy Director?”

“Yes, I will. Anyway, I’ll ask for your help.”

“Understood! Wishing you a safe return!”

The knight quickly dashed into Rondan after those words.

Seeing that, we too stepped into that space.

#

Maren was at a loss for words, quietly surveying the surroundings.

What she saw upon entering the space was shocking.

Corpses.

There was a mountain of bodies that had been cruelly mutilated beyond words.

From how fresh some appeared, it seemed they had been dead not long ago, their skin still palpable to the slightest touch from careless steps.

Were there others recently harmed in this space?

Maren let out a sigh, feeling a sense of dread.

“…This doesn’t feel like a safe space at all.”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Hmm. It seems this atmosphere isn’t a threat to you, is it?”

“Uh… no. It definitely looks like a dangerous… space.”

Tanton responded without much reflection, which Maren naturally accepted.

For someone who just returned from the Gardener’s Garden without a scratch or a hint of trauma, this gruesome sight was nothing remarkable.

Maren felt Tanton’s humility as he stammered, as if trying to show concern for her.

“Let’s move on.”

“Yes!”

That might just be what’s in front of us. Thinking that, she moved forward, but nothing changed.

In fact, more gruesome corpses greeted Maren.

Though she had seen countless horrific scenes, a space filled with corpses on such a blatant scale was indeed hard to come by.

The one who established the iron rule of Rondan must have survived such horrific sights.

“Tanton, are you okay?”

“Yeah, just a bit peckish….”

Feeling hungry in such a situation… Maren often felt a sort of respect for Tanton, but sometimes, moments like these filled her with fear rather than admiration.

As if a part of his moral compass had broken.

Yet despite that, wanting to protect others, whenever he became emotionally vulnerable, she had the urge to dissect his brain just to understand.

“I should just be grateful that his sense of justice is directed towards Rondan.”

Handing Tanton a piece of bread she had brought, Maren said, “Take this to stave off your hunger. It’s regrettable that this is all I brought.”

“Ah, no! What will the Deputy Director eat then…?”

“If you don’t eat it now, there won’t be any left.”

“…Then I will gratefully eat it.”

Tanton quickly grabbed the piece of bread Maren offered and stuffed it in his mouth.

Seeing Tanton eating with apparent delight, Maren held her forehead and shook her head.

She thought all the snacks she had brought should go to Tanton.

Maren looked around the spacious area.

However, nothing particularly extraordinary caught her eye.

It seemed Tanton felt the same, as he was looking around with a puzzled expression.

Perhaps he was regretting taking unnecessary steps because his intuition was wrong.

Maren placed a hand on Tanton’s shoulder.

Tanton looked at Maren.

“Don’t rush too much. The fact that there are many corpses suggests there’s definitely something here.”

“Ah, corpses… yes, I understand.”

Maren tilted her head at Tanton’s response, as if corpses hadn’t crossed his mind at all.

Still, how could one overlook such a brutal sight?

She could reflect once more on why Muyeon had conveyed her previous reports the way she did.

With each step deeper inside, the corpses had aged, and Maren felt her footing sink lightly into the bones beneath her with a soft “plop, plop.”

Every time she felt that sensation, the urge to escape grew stronger within her.

Then it happened.

“Uh, Deputy Director!”

At that moment, Tanton pointed ahead.

She had no idea what could be found in this field of corpses, but she glanced at the direction Tanton indicated.

Tanton was correct.

In the place he pointed, two figures were moving erratically.

And they appeared, at a glance, to have human forms.

“Let’s check it out.”

“Yes.”

Though many corpses littered the area, there were definitely spots where they could step without difficulty.

Finally, Maren moved closer until they were fully in view and quickly hid behind a pile of bodies, observing them closely.

One was showing only its back, so she couldn’t get a clear look.

Is it a person?

An outsider?

The entity before the man’s back certainly had the unmistakable traits of an outsider.

Its scales-covered skin and glowing red eyes were anything but the normal appearance of a human.

“Deputy Director.”

“What is it?”

But unlike herself, Tanton seemed to have noticed something and carefully pointed at the man’s back.

“That person… is that him?”

“Who?”

Maren, with an odd mix of joy and embarrassment in her voice, turned to look at the man’s back.

Just then, the two figures engaged in a fierce battle, their positions shifting, and the moment she saw that face, her eyes widened.

And upon confirming that, Maren’s body reacted instinctively, disregarding everything else.

*Bang!*

When the outsider’s attack nearly struck the man’s back, Maren’s great sword intercepted and deflected it.

Without a moment’s pause, Maren turned her gaze back to the man.

“Uh, what?! Who is this!!”

And the instant she heard that man’s voice, Maren became certain, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

“Isn’t that the Deputy Director?!”

That man’s true identity was the God of War.

 

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