Chapter 116

Of course, it was impossible for the Pope of the Shinsian Church to officially cross into the Dongje Empire.

He had to go in secret.

Fortunately, however, the Shinsian Church had a history of dispatching priests covertly whenever crisis struck the Dongje Empire.

In a political landscape dominated by nobles, where innocent commoners were being crushed left and right, they had to be saved.

This had naturally caused significant friction with the imperial family, but the Shinsian Church had stood firm, declaring, “We cannot stand by while the children of the sinless Lord Shinsian suffer.”

They had dispatched priests to the Dongje Empire despite the imperial opposition.

Thanks to that history, there were several ways to cross over.

“The shortest route at the current time is…”

The holy knight quickly gathered the information.

And so, Yian crossed the border into the Dongje Empire with only the minimal number of holy knights.

“It seems Kinna has already seized the imperial capital.”

From the report of the holy knight who brought the intel, he quickly calculated a few possibilities.

In the Dongje Empire, the only person Hunter Shin Jae-heon would take an interest in was Crown Prince Paris.

He had sent Epe to Hunter Shin Yuri, after all.

“Then where would the crown prince have gone…?”

Yian muttered to himself.

Spreading out a map of the Dongje Empire, he scanned the terrain around the imperial capital.

There hadn’t been time to flee far. Moreover, forces supporting the crown prince surely remained within the Dongje Empire.

Even though Kinna had suddenly taken the capital, among the nobility who valued legitimate bloodlines, there were bound to be those backing the crown prince.

The crown prince would wait for them to make their move.

No matter how foolish he was, he had that much brains.

“……”

Behind him, Hunter Shin Jae-heon would be in pursuit.

In that case, somewhere not too far from the original imperial capital where the crown prince had been.

Yet a place difficult for others to rummage through carelessly.

“The mountain owned by the imperial family.”

As a member of the imperial family, he would know the various secret passages and traps in that mountain, so he would hide there and bide his time.

But Hunter Shin Jae-heon had tracking skills, so whatever was in the imperial mountain, he could avoid it.

He could simply follow the crown prince’s path.

In that case.

“I’ll take a quick look around this place.”

Yian said to the holy knights.

“We will escort you safely.”

The holy knights replied immediately, but Yian shook his head.

“Alone.”

“It’s dangerous.”

The holy knights tried to dissuade him, but Yian smiled gently.

“It’ll only take a moment. I have to meet this person alone.”

If his guess was right, and Hunter Shin Jae-heon was really there, the crown prince wouldn’t be in one piece.

If others saw that sight, the RP dungeon penalty on Hunter Shin Jae-heon would spike dramatically, so it was better with no witnesses.

“But.”

The holy knights tried to dissuade him several times, but Yian insisted it was the will of the gods and declared he would go alone.

“……Understood.”

In the end, the holy knights had no choice but to yield.

While they waited near the mountain entrance, Yian climbed up.

“There are many monsters inside, so please be careful.”

The holy knights warned, but Yian wasn’t worried.

He had no attack skills at all, but he was certain.

Even if there were monsters, they would all be hiding.

They would have instinctively sensed the suffocating killing intent of an S-rank.

—Crack.

Following recent signs of human passage, he found traces of someone having stayed there a few hours later.

“……”

And at that spot, footprints were blatantly visible.

The path cut through the trees rather than following the mountain trail, as if the one ahead didn’t care if they were pursued, boldly announcing their passage.

Monster traces remained untouched, along with roughly snapped branches and massive tree trunks sliced clean through.

Passing trees clearly felled by a single clean sword stroke, Yian drew closer to his destination.

He didn’t need tracking skills to know.

“……”

He could feel the air heavy with suffocating killing intent.

And there, in a clearing formed by burning, fallen trees, as if it didn’t matter if someone found it.

And in the center of it all.

“……Hunter Shin Jae-heon.”

Shin Jae-heon was sitting there.

Yian sighed. It seemed he was already too late.

The bright red gate behind Shin Jae-heon was already stabilizing.

And Shin Jae-heon had his eyes narrowed, as if enduring pain.

Yian slowly approached the unmoving figure.

Until he showed himself, Shin Jae-heon had been radiating killing intent as if ready to swing his sword, but now he flashed a relaxed smile.

“Why’d you come so quietly?”

He said, releasing his grip on the sword hilt.

“Almost killed you.”

“Hunter Shin Jae-heon.”

Yian sensed the menacing aura from him.

And he looked at the gate he was guarding.

It had been nearly an hour since someone entered—or was thrown in—and it showed almost no activity.

Who it was went without saying.

“……Why did you do it?”

The tension in Shin Jae-heon’s entire body wasn’t just from anger.

As a healer, Yian knew well.

Shin Jae-heon was enduring pain. Veins bulging on his arms.

“Do what?”

But his forced voice was calm. As if using the pain to suppress himself.

This was a form of self-harm.

“The penalty seems severe.”

Of course it was.

If the one thrown into that dungeon was truly Dongje Empire’s Crown Prince Paris, it would massively impact the entire continent’s political landscape.

Naturally, it would rebound on Shin Jae-heon with powerful penalties.

“Couldn’t hold back.”

Shin Jae-heon finally said.

He was perched on a cleanly cut tree stump.

“Can’t just sit still. Why do you think I became S-rank?”

His deep blue eyes fixed straight on Yian.

“She said she doesn’t want to be left alone. That’s why I became S-rank, but these damn nuisances getting in the way? I really didn’t see it coming.”

Shin Jae-heon rubbed his forehead.

He muttered it felt utterly ridiculous.

In that moment of crisis when she was alone, he couldn’t stop worrying about her, the one who would have been left behind if she died; once he confirmed she was safe, rage surged up.

“She said she’d hold out fine for a year, save the world, and go. Why are there so many things getting in the way?”

A chilling voice echoed. Yian clamped his mouth shut in a firm line.

“Hunter Shin Yuri wouldn’t want you doing this either.”

Even on her way here, she was worried about you.

I think she said she was concerned because your messages had been sparse.

Even with me right there, that person was looking at you.

She was clearly looking at me, but strangely, her gaze seemed to pierce beyond to you.

‘Do you like me, Yian?’

That was why he hadn’t grabbed her hand in that moment.

Because he realized he couldn’t make this person happy.

He could only make her anxious. The one who could make her happy was someone else.

He had realized it too deeply.

So instead, he hoped she would be happy. But it seemed this side still had a long way to go.

“……I couldn’t just leave it when I don’t know what else he’d do.”

Shin Jae-heon’s voice rang out. Yian turned to look at him.

“This is my way. I’ve lived like this for years.”

Strange? As Shin Jae-heon seemed to ask, Yian shook his head.

“No.”

Then he continued immediately.

“I know.”

Shin Jae-heon widened his eyes.

“People die, but paperwork remains.”

Yian turned to him.

The surprised gaze of Shin Jae-heon met the calm gaze of Yian.

Yian had realized shortly after joining the team that Shin Jae-heon wasn’t just some lightweight.

He wasn’t surprised when he pushed himself up to S-rank.

He had a clear, desperate goal.

To protect Shin Yuri.

After becoming S-rank, he gradually eliminated those who slandered or obstructed her.

And the first to notice was Yian.

‘That reporter……’

Around the time he was pondering if there was any legal way to deal with the reporter who only published malicious articles about Shin Yuri.

That reporter was an A-rank hunter who also did hunter work, and A-ranks rarely faced punishment unless they caused major incidents, given their combat power.

Maybe some unpaid gate clearing as community service.

When he was wondering if there was a harsher punishment.

‘……’

The reporter vanished. As if he’d never existed.

And Yian felt an odd heat at the last place he’d been.

Having seen Shin Jae-heon’s flame sword up close many times, he knew.

‘Ah.’

Hunter Shin Jae-heon, it was you.

But back then, Shin Jae-heon wasn’t as meticulous as now. He left traces.

The younger Shin Jae-heon didn’t know that even if people die, surprisingly much paperwork remains in the empty spots.

After that, Yian was the one who cleaned up the traces of those mysteriously “missing” people.

“That’s why I handled the paperwork too. Figured it’d get found out if it kept going.”

Yian looked straight at Shin Jae-heon. He froze, stiffening.

As if he hadn’t imagined it.

“Thought Hunter Shin Yuri would be uncomfortable if she knew.”

At those words, Shin Jae-heon clamped his mouth shut.

“……Let’s head back for now. Hunter Shin Yuri’s probably worried already. You’ve been quieter in chat than usual.”

Yian stood up. Only then did Shin Jae-heon follow, rising to his feet.

At that moment, the gate behind them, which had been slowly moving, came to a complete halt.

And a bright red system window appeared before Shin Jae-heon’s eyes.

It seemed there was no chance of survival from inside the dungeon. The moment Shin Jae-heon let out a cold laugh.

“!”

Shin Jae-heon involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut.

A searing pain like a branding iron dug into his left shoulder.

The wound born under the ‘Full-Body Pain Amplification (L)’ debuff made the agony even worse.

The skill had been repeatedly used since earlier, but of course, it was useless.

As Shin Jae-heon narrowed his eyes.

“Penalty, right?”

At Yian’s words, he gave a slight nod.

“Any other penalties?”

“Skill rank drop.”

Shin Jae-heon answered curtly. Yian paused.

He knew too. This would be too easy to notice.

“Which skill?”

“Guardian of the Sword.”

“Ah……”

Of all things, the skill he constantly used in combat. It would be noticed immediately.

“Don’t want to tell Shin Yuri.”

“She’ll notice the penalty appeared.”

An A-rank skill dropping to B-rank? No way she wouldn’t.

But Shin Jae-heon shook his head slightly.

“She just needs to not know how the penalty happened.”

At that, Yian clamped his mouth shut.

Would Hunter Shin Yuri really not notice?

Hunter Shin Jae-heon vanishing around the same time rumors spread that the Dongje Empire’s crown prince was dead.

And the wound and skill rank drop on him.

“……Hunter Shin Yuri will want to know.”

If it couldn’t be completely hidden, better to tell her outright.

But Shin Jae-heon raised an eyebrow.

“You think she wants to know what price I paid thinking of her?”

“……”

Yian faltered at those words.

Probably not. But it couldn’t be hidden either.

Shin Jae-heon tossed Maletia’s sword into his inventory.

“If it can’t be fully hidden, it’s better than lying.”

That was the right answer. Shin Jae-heon felt suffocated.

He knew too well.

Hunter Yian knows her too well.

Why?

“I know, but you know too, Hunter Yian. That I can’t say anything. Even you would have done the same.”

Shin Jae-heon stared at Yian.

“You like Yuri too.”