Chapter 308
Boom.
Frechen’s huge body floated slightly, then soon collapsed backward.
Due to the impact that hit his chin at an unexpected moment, Frechen didn’t lose consciousness, but he still looked stunned.
“Gasp!”
“Insane!”
People widened their eyes as if they couldn’t believe that Yu-hyun had punched Frechen in the chin.
Even Lean, who had been standing still like a doll the whole time, opened his tightly closed mouth at the action Yu-hyun showed.
The ones who were shocked included not just Frechen but also his subordinates.
“This witch!”
“How dare you lay a hand on the emperor’s body!”
Frechen’s soldiers drew their swords and revealed their killing intent towards Yu-hyun. Thinking their master had been insulted, their eyes turned red with fury.
Simultaneously, those standing behind Lean also drew their swords. No matter what, they couldn’t just stand by and watch Yu-hyun get killed.
Just as the tension between the two groups reached its peak,
“Stop!!!”
Frechen, who had fallen, rose and shouted.
His loud cry echoed throughout the ice mountain’s interior cavity, washing away all the surrounding killing intent.
Yu-hyun was quietly impressed by that shout. Whether it was intentional or not, his voice contained what people often called power.
As the situation calmed down, Frechen stood up and rubbed his throbbing chin.
“Ugh. That was quite a hit.”
“I hit you to give you a good jolt.”
“Haha. I see.”
Despite his words, Frechen couldn’t help but regard Yu-hyun more highly.
Indeed, he had provoked. Most Tellers in Kaira’s form would either shout in anger or make clumsy gestures.
People who had never actually fought. People who were all talk.
Frechen secretly mocked and despised such Tellers.
But, what was this?
‘For a moment, I couldn’t react.’
At the moment the punch hit his chin, Frechen only belatedly realized he had been hit.
Even if caught off guard, he was the type who would notice if someone stabbed him from behind. He was born from the strongest bloodline among the Gardians, and his efforts to become strong had never gone to waste.
Yet, he couldn’t dodge Yu-hyun’s punch.
And it wasn’t just any punch. When his chin was struck, his brain shook, and a rough shock flowed through his skull.
‘He’s strong. He knows how to use his body.’
Though the impact wasn’t severe enough to prevent a quick recovery, Frechen had to reevaluate the Kaira-disguised Yu-hyun before him.
“Indeed. I knew you were different, but feeling it firsthand, you really are different.”
“It’s good that you understand.”
“But still, this place will not be comfortable for you.”
With those words, Frechen led his soldiers away. Their departure was swift and coordinated, like a storm passing by.
As Frechen’s group disappeared, Lean’s side hesitated, not knowing what to do.
“……Let’s go.”
With just one word from Lean, he too left the scene. Those who followed Lean, unable to make up their minds, scattered as soon as he withdrew.
As the situation settled quickly, people began to disperse one by one.
Yu-hyun observed their reactions. Usually, in a group of survivors, factional divisions would make people anxious, but their expressions seemed as if they were already accustomed to it.
‘This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, is it?’
He had sensed something was off when Frechen provoked him.
“Auntie, let’s go.”
“Oh, yes, let’s.”
Yu-hyun returned to the inn with Aunt Bella. As soon as they got back, Bella recalled the recent events and laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha! Thinking back, it wasn’t an ordinary thing!”
“What was?”
“What do you mean? You punched Frechen’s chin! Doing that in front of everyone must have seriously hurt his pride!”
Bella laughed so hard she nearly choked, perhaps due to her long-standing resentment against Frechen.
But Yu-hyun couldn’t quite share her amusement.
‘It didn’t seem like that to me.’
Frechen, known as an emperor, and his actions along with his followers seemed like he would be labeled a tyrant without question.
His behavior also projected an image of being impulsive and brutish.
Frechen intentionally portrayed himself that way.
‘Even after being hit, he didn’t immediately react with anger. More importantly, his eyes at that moment. Unlike his smiling face, they were deeply weighed down.’
Yu-hyun clicked his tongue while brushing his long hair back.
‘Such types are very troublesome.’
He looked like a tiger but had the cunning of a fox inside. Moreover, Frechen appeared to hold unparalleled power within this survivor city, Gard.
Given his open antagonism with Lean, there was no need to say more.
Turning such a person into an ally was a challenge, but making him an enemy was even more troublesome.
‘But what I did earlier wasn’t a bad move.’
When Yu-hyun hit Frechen’s chin,
Frechen’s subordinates glared at Yu-hyun as if they would kill him, but some people laughed at Yu-hyun’s bold act.
Even some who had viewed Yu-hyun negatively started to change their opinions.
Whether Frechen tried to use Yu-hyun or not, Yu-hyun also benefited by improving his image using Frechen as a stepping stone.
“By the way, were you actually a man?”
“Yes, well…”
“Haha. I see. Well, you’re not really Kaira, so it’s inevitable whether you’re a man or a woman. Ah, it doesn’t matter. Thinking about such complicated things isn’t my style anyway.”
“By the way, these kinds of incidents seem frequent. People’s reactions looked very familiar.”
“Huh? Well, they must be. They always growl at each other whenever they meet.”
Growl whenever they meet.
Yu-hyun became curious about how things worked in Gard.
“Who is Frechen, and why do they form factions?”
“Hmm. It’s a long story.”
Bella explained to Yu-hyun what she knew.
“That guy Frechen. He claims to be an emperor, and it’s annoying to see, but we can’t really deny it.”
“What?”
“Because he really is an emperor. He inherited the imperial blood, and with everyone else dead, what else would he be? Well, he’s the emperor of a fallen empire now.”
The term “fallen empire” caught Yu-hyun’s interest.
“Oh? Ah, you wouldn’t know much about empires and such.”
“Yes. What is an empire, and what happened?”
“Oh dear. Explaining this will take some time.”
Bella continued with a smile, not seeming too displeased.
Originally, before the Curse of the Frozen Land, this world was home to various kingdoms, empires, and diverse tribes.
Among them, Frechen belonged to the Franzgard Empire, located at the northernmost part of the empire.
The Franzgard Empire was historically the largest and most powerful, often initiating conquest wars that kept surrounding nations on edge.
Frechen was one of the princes, almost last in the line of succession within that empire.
“So, the empire fell?”
“Exactly.”
Decades ago, the Curse of the Frozen Land erupted. The reason was unknown, but the curse brought cold winds that spread across the continent, swallowing the world.
The Franzgard Empire, closest to the curse, was the first to collapse.
It wasn’t an enemy invasion or a massive rebellion, but a natural disaster, causing the empire to crumble without proper response.
Everything—land, sky, cities, and people—froze, forcing survivors to flee south.
“Frechen is the only survivor of the Franzgard Empire. It’s enough to call him an emperor as he claims, but with the empire’s fall decades ago, it’s also quite pathetic.”
“I see. Despite that, he has many followers.”
“Well, he survived with his knight order. Those around him now are the surviving members of that order. The rest are fools drawn to the titles of knight and emperor.”
Though Bella spoke with irritation, Yu-hyun thought it wasn’t just blind loyalty that made them follow Frechen.
Judging by Frechen’s actions and character, Yu-hyun believed his charisma naturally drew his subordinates to him.
“But they seem to clash often with this side.”
“Of course. It’s inevitable with the Explorers’ work.”
“Explorers. Come to think of it, Ringug, who brought me here, said he was an Explorer.”
“Ah. So Ringug brought you. No wonder. He treats everyone kindly without discrimination. Actually, he might be too soft.”
“What do Explorers do? What do they look for?”
“We can’t stay trapped here forever. Explorers risk the harsh outside environment and dangers to explore. They look for new places to migrate, other survivor groups, and…”
Bella hesitated, thinking it wasn’t necessary to mention something.
“Never mind. The main thing is, Explorers do very dangerous work. It’s also very brave and honorable.”
“Is Frechen an Explorer too?”
“Yes. Those opposing Frechen are also Explorers. Essentially, most who can fight are Explorers. Among them, factions form around Frechen and Lean.”
Yu-hyun didn’t ask why they needed to fight. Considering the Frost Giants outside, anyone with weak skills would likely die.
In fact, some Explorers never returned after going out.
The only reason for not returning was encountering Frost Giants.
“To be honest, Kaira, kids like you have been appearing consistently even before you came.”
“That much I could tell from people’s reactions.”
“Yes. But the problem was that kids in Kaira’s form appeared after the Curse of the Frozen Land took over the world.”
“I see.”
Yu-hyun began to understand why people reacted negatively and viewed him omin
ously.
Even without direct evidence, such coincidental timing made it seem like they brought the curse.
Initially, Gard’s survivors had tried to welcome them.
They even thought they might be divine envoys sent to solve the curse.
However, the Tellers, unable to achieve anything, failed. This repeated failure led to the current situation.
“Besides, finding food in this place mustn’t be easy. How do you manage to survive?”
Gard was warm like early spring, unlike the horrible cold outside.
Though the sun didn’t shine here, the city itself emitted light and warmth.
“When we first came, wizards, shamans, and the Great Five Sisters created a barrier.”
“That barrier controls the temperature and helps plants grow?”
“Yes. It also keeps the Frost Giants outside. It’s more like they can’t find us than can’t come in.”
“Who are the Great Five Sisters?”
“Ah, well…”
Bella seemed hesitant but then decided to explain.
“The Great Five Sisters were divine envoys.”
“Divine envoys?”
“Yes. They were chosen to nurture and strengthen candidates for the next deity.”
Were.
That past tense indicated the Great Five Sisters no longer existed.
“Kaira. Your current form. She was one of the Great Five Sisters.”
“What?”
“Kaira was the eldest. When I was a lovely young girl, I saw her from afar. She was as beautiful and radiant as you now. Just looking at her felt mesmerizing.”
But no one welcomed Kaira’s appearance now.
Yu-hyun suddenly remembered Lean’s subtle gaze.
“About Lean.”
“Lean? What about him?”
“Who is he? No, let me ask differently. What was his relationship with Kaira, whose form I have now?”
“Well, that…”
Bella looked troubled by Yu-hyun’s question.
“Is it hard to answer?”
“It’s because she doesn’t know well either.”
The answer came from behind Yu-hyun, not Bella.
Lean, who had just entered the inn, was staring at Yu-hyun with his usual indifferent, cold gaze.
“And it’s impolite to dig for information about someone in their absence.”
“Maybe so. I apologize.”
Yu-hyun didn’t back down from the gaze and instead smiled boldly.
“Then I’ll ask directly. What was your relationship with this body’s original owner?”
Bella, who had been listening quietly, gasped and held her breath.
Chapter 308
Boom.
Frechen’s huge body floated slightly, then soon collapsed backward.
Due to the impact that hit his chin at an unexpected moment, Frechen didn’t lose consciousness, but he still looked stunned.
“Gasp!”
“Insane!”
People widened their eyes as if they couldn’t believe that Yu-hyun had punched Frechen in the chin.
Even Lean, who had been standing still like a doll the whole time, opened his tightly closed mouth at the action Yu-hyun showed.
The ones who were shocked included not just Frechen but also his subordinates.
“This witch!”
“How dare you lay a hand on the emperor’s body!”
Frechen’s soldiers drew their swords and revealed their killing intent towards Yu-hyun. Thinking their master had been insulted, their eyes turned red with fury.
Simultaneously, those standing behind Lean also drew their swords. No matter what, they couldn’t just stand by and watch Yu-hyun get killed.
Just as the tension between the two groups reached its peak,
“Stop!!!”
Frechen, who had fallen, rose and shouted.
His loud cry echoed throughout the ice mountain’s interior cavity, washing away all the surrounding killing intent.
Yu-hyun was quietly impressed by that shout. Whether it was intentional or not, his voice contained what people often called power.
As the situation calmed down, Frechen stood up and rubbed his throbbing chin.
“Ugh. That was quite a hit.”
“I hit you to give you a good jolt.”
“Haha. I see.”
Despite his words, Frechen couldn’t help but regard Yu-hyun more highly.
Indeed, he had provoked. Most Tellers in Kaira’s form would either shout in anger or make clumsy gestures.
People who had never actually fought. People who were all talk.
Frechen secretly mocked and despised such Tellers.
But, what was this?
‘For a moment, I couldn’t react.’
At the moment the punch hit his chin, Frechen only belatedly realized he had been hit.
Even if caught off guard, he was the type who would notice if someone stabbed him from behind. He was born from the strongest bloodline among the Gardians, and his efforts to become strong had never gone to waste.
Yet, he couldn’t dodge Yu-hyun’s punch.
And it wasn’t just any punch. When his chin was struck, his brain shook, and a rough shock flowed through his skull.
‘He’s strong. He knows how to use his body.’
Though the impact wasn’t severe enough to prevent a quick recovery, Frechen had to reevaluate the Kaira-disguised Yu-hyun before him.
“Indeed. I knew you were different, but feeling it firsthand, you really are different.”
“It’s good that you understand.”
“But still, this place will not be comfortable for you.”
With those words, Frechen led his soldiers away. Their departure was swift and coordinated, like a storm passing by.
As Frechen’s group disappeared, Lean’s side hesitated, not knowing what to do.
“……Let’s go.”
With just one word from Lean, he too left the scene. Those who followed Lean, unable to make up their minds, scattered as soon as he withdrew.
As the situation settled quickly, people began to disperse one by one.
Yu-hyun observed their reactions. Usually, in a group of survivors, factional divisions would make people anxious, but their expressions seemed as if they were already accustomed to it.
‘This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, is it?’
He had sensed something was off when Frechen provoked him.
“Auntie, let’s go.”
“Oh, yes, let’s.”
Yu-hyun returned to the inn with Aunt Bella. As soon as they got back, Bella recalled the recent events and laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha! Thinking back, it wasn’t an ordinary thing!”
“What was?”
“What do you mean? You punched Frechen’s chin! Doing that in front of everyone must have seriously hurt his pride!”
Bella laughed so hard she nearly choked, perhaps due to her long-standing resentment against Frechen.
But Yu-hyun couldn’t quite share her amusement.
‘It didn’t seem like that to me.’
Frechen, known as an emperor, and his actions along with his followers seemed like he would be labeled a tyrant without question.
His behavior also projected an image of being impulsive and brutish.
Frechen intentionally portrayed himself that way.
‘Even after being hit, he didn’t immediately react with anger. More importantly, his eyes at that moment. Unlike his smiling face, they were deeply weighed down.’
Yu-hyun clicked his tongue while brushing his long hair back.
‘Such types are very troublesome.’
He looked like a tiger but had the cunning of a fox inside. Moreover, Frechen appeared to hold unparalleled power within this survivor city, Gard.
Given his open antagonism with Lean, there was no need to say more.
Turning such a person into an ally was a challenge, but making him an enemy was even more troublesome.
‘But what I did earlier wasn’t a bad move.’
When Yu-hyun hit Frechen’s chin,
Frechen’s subordinates glared at Yu-hyun as if they would kill him, but some people laughed at Yu-hyun’s bold act.
Even some who had viewed Yu-hyun negatively started to change their opinions.
Whether Frechen tried to use Yu-hyun or not, Yu-hyun also benefited by improving his image using Frechen as a stepping stone.
“By the way, were you actually a man?”
“Yes, well…”
“Haha. I see. Well, you’re not really Kaira, so it’s inevitable whether you’re a man or a woman. Ah, it doesn’t matter. Thinking about such complicated things isn’t my style anyway.”
“By the way, these kinds of incidents seem frequent. People’s reactions looked very familiar.”
“Huh? Well, they must be. They always growl at each other whenever they meet.”
Growl whenever they meet.
Yu-hyun became curious about how things worked in Gard.
“Who is Frechen, and why do they form factions?”
“Hmm. It’s a long story.”
Bella explained to Yu-hyun what she knew.
“That guy Frechen. He claims to be an emperor, and it’s annoying to see, but we can’t really deny it.”
“What?”
“Because he really is an emperor. He inherited the imperial blood, and with everyone else dead, what else would he be? Well, he’s the emperor of a fallen empire now.”
The term “fallen empire” caught Yu-hyun’s interest.
“Oh? Ah, you wouldn’t know much about empires and such.”
“Yes. What is an empire, and what happened?”
“Oh dear. Explaining this will take some time.”
Bella continued with a smile, not seeming too displeased.
Originally, before the Curse of the Frozen Land, this world was home to various kingdoms, empires, and diverse tribes.
Among them, Frechen belonged to the Franzgard Empire, located at the northernmost part of the empire.
The Franzgard Empire was historically the largest and most powerful, often initiating conquest wars that kept surrounding nations on edge.
Frechen was one of the princes, almost last in the line of succession within that empire.
“So, the empire fell?”
“Exactly.”
Decades ago, the Curse of the Frozen Land erupted. The reason was unknown, but the curse brought cold winds that spread across the continent, swallowing the world.
The Franzgard Empire, closest to the curse, was the first to collapse.
It wasn’t an enemy invasion or a massive rebellion, but a natural disaster, causing the empire to crumble without proper response.
Everything—land, sky, cities, and people—froze, forcing survivors to flee south.
“Frechen is the only survivor of the Franzgard Empire. It’s enough to call him an emperor as he claims, but with the empire’s fall decades ago, it’s also quite pathetic.”
“I see. Despite that, he has many followers.”
“Well, he survived with his knight order. Those around him now are the surviving members of that order. The rest are fools drawn to the titles of knight and emperor.”
Though Bella spoke with irritation, Yu-hyun thought it wasn’t just blind loyalty that made them follow Frechen.
Judging by Frechen’s actions and character, Yu-hyun believed his charisma naturally drew his subordinates to him.
“But they seem to clash often with this side.”
“Of course. It’s inevitable with the Explorers’ work.”
“Explorers. Come to think of it, Ringug, who brought me here, said he was an Explorer.”
“Ah. So Ringug brought you. No wonder. He treats everyone kindly without discrimination. Actually, he might be too soft.”
“What do Explorers do? What do they look for?”
“We can’t stay trapped here forever. Explorers risk the harsh outside environment and dangers to explore. They look for new places to migrate, other survivor groups, and…”
Bella hesitated, thinking it wasn’t necessary to mention something.
“Never mind. The main thing is, Explorers do very dangerous work. It’s also very brave and honorable.”
“Is Frechen an Explorer too?”
“Yes. Those opposing Frechen are also Explorers. Essentially, most who can fight are Explorers. Among them, factions form around Frechen and Lean.”
Yu-hyun didn’t ask why they needed to fight. Considering the Frost Giants outside, anyone with weak skills would likely die.
In fact, some Explorers never returned after going out.
The only reason for not returning was encountering Frost Giants.
“To be honest, Kaira, kids like you have been appearing consistently even before you came.”
“That much I could tell from people’s reactions.”
“Yes. But the problem was that kids in Kaira’s form appeared after the Curse of the Frozen Land took over the world.”
“I see.”
Yu-hyun began to understand why people reacted negatively and viewed him omin
ously.
Even without direct evidence, such coincidental timing made it seem like they brought the curse.
Initially, Gard’s survivors had tried to welcome them.
They even thought they might be divine envoys sent to solve the curse.
However, the Tellers, unable to achieve anything, failed. This repeated failure led to the current situation.
“Besides, finding food in this place mustn’t be easy. How do you manage to survive?”
Gard was warm like early spring, unlike the horrible cold outside.
Though the sun didn’t shine here, the city itself emitted light and warmth.
“When we first came, wizards, shamans, and the Great Five Sisters created a barrier.”
“That barrier controls the temperature and helps plants grow?”
“Yes. It also keeps the Frost Giants outside. It’s more like they can’t find us than can’t come in.”
“Who are the Great Five Sisters?”
“Ah, well…”
Bella seemed hesitant but then decided to explain.
“The Great Five Sisters were divine envoys.”
“Divine envoys?”
“Yes. They were chosen to nurture and strengthen candidates for the next deity.”
Were.
That past tense indicated the Great Five Sisters no longer existed.
“Kaira. Your current form. She was one of the Great Five Sisters.”
“What?”
“Kaira was the eldest. When I was a lovely young girl, I saw her from afar. She was as beautiful and radiant as you now. Just looking at her felt mesmerizing.”
But no one welcomed Kaira’s appearance now.
Yu-hyun suddenly remembered Lean’s subtle gaze.
“About Lean.”
“Lean? What about him?”
“Who is he? No, let me ask differently. What was his relationship with Kaira, whose form I have now?”
“Well, that…”
Bella looked troubled by Yu-hyun’s question.
“Is it hard to answer?”
“It’s because she doesn’t know well either.”
The answer came from behind Yu-hyun, not Bella.
Lean, who had just entered the inn, was staring at Yu-hyun with his usual indifferent, cold gaze.
“And it’s impolite to dig for information about someone in their absence.”
“Maybe so. I apologize.”
Yu-hyun didn’t back down from the gaze and instead smiled boldly.
“Then I’ll ask directly. What was your relationship with this body’s original owner?”
Bella, who had been listening quietly, gasped and held her breath.