The next day arrived.
The royal vacation procession of the Adolveit Royal Family was extravagant and grand.
Dozens of newly developed anti-magic carriages created through item technology paraded through the streets.
Class 5 or higher elite magic knights guarded the royals at every corner, while people waved and cheered towards the royal family.
"Long live the Queen!"
"Long live Queen Adolveit!"
Even though they were just going for a mere vacation, citizens poured into the streets. They cheered loudly, and their enthusiasm perhaps stemmed from genuine respect.
Well, perhaps the current Queen Hong Se-ryu might be closer to a tyrant.
After forcefully dethroning the previous queen known as the Sun Empress, she seized power and enforced oppressive politics.
She was quite a formidable figure, one might say.
Though Baek Yu-Seol could accompany as a palace attendant of Hong Bi-Yeon on this vacation.
However, daring to ride in the same carriage as the princess was out of the question.
Well. It was only natural after all.
"Is he the one rumored to be adept at administrative affairs?"
Other noble and common palace attendants also joined the vacation procession, lamenting that they had to continue working even at the 'Heavenly Ice Palace' located on the coast of Levian.
If all the royals go on vacation, the country can't function, can it?
"Judging by your complexion, you don't seem to be from around here. Have you considered working for the royal family after graduation? With your skills, a rise in status is possible."
Just as on Earth there was a fine line between Westerners and Easterners, the same was true here.
If he had a bit of an Eastern vibe mixed in, the Adolveit Kingdom, belonging to Hong Bi-Yeon, had a slightly stronger Western vibe.
"Oh, Director Markruck. Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
The young man named Pahan looked at Baek Yu-Seol with cunning eyes.
"This guy isn't the type to aim for a rise in status through mere administrative work."
"Then what is he good at? Oh, because he's a Stella student, is he exceptionally skilled in magic?"
"No, no, not that. This guy, he's quite the ladies' man."
Phew!
Baek Yu-Seol spewed out the drink he was sipping.
Pahan, who was blabbering about him, continued as if nothing had happened, even with the drink all over him.
"They say he's pursued the third princess."
"Ah... I've heard that rumor too. I thought it was just gossip."
"Absolutely not. Haven't you seen her coming to the library every day?"
"The third princess is naturally inclined towards intellectual pursuits..."
"Hehe. Director Markruck, do you always have to say such boring things? Can't you tell just by looking? Do you really think the third princess only read books when she came to the library?"
The young man smirked ominously while glancing at Baek Yu-Seol.
"Well. She came to the library, but instead of reading the books, she spent the whole day staring at that guy's face. And there's more than one witness..."
"That's enough of that."
As irritation began to genuinely creep onto Baek Yu-Seol’s face, Pahan coughed and stopped talking.
He appeared to be the type who lacked any sense of propriety. It was very idiotic to speak of such baseless rumors in front of the person involved.
Or perhaps he wanted to gauge the truth of the rumor by doing so.
"That's not what happened. He's friends with the princess since they are from the same academy."
"Hehe! Friends becoming lovers..."
"Enough of that."
Director Markruck saw Baek Yu-Seol’s expression, and decided that the joke shouldn't continue, so he cut off Pahan's words.
Apart from constantly urging Baek Yu-Seol to join, he was actually quite a grateful person.
"Hmph... Fine."
As Pahan sulked, the carriage started moving again.
Sensing it was time, Baek Yu-Seol grabbed his coat.
One might wonder why he was wearing a coat in the middle of summer, but it was a natural precaution as they headed towards the Levian coast.
"Ah! I'm looking forward to it."
As the weather gradually cooled, Pahan spoke up again.
Director Markruck was still engrossed in paperwork, and said from inside the carriage.
"Pahan, is this your first time to the sea of Levian?"
"Yep. That's right."
"Well... we're not just going for fun, but enjoy it as much as you can. It's a famous tourist spot. Your mouth will probably be wide open in awe."
Listening to their conversation, Baek Yu-Seol took out the coat he had prepared from his backpack.
At first glance, it looked no different from a coat with the Stella mark, but having entrusted Alterisha, it was enchanted with top-notch insulation capabilities, so its contents were far from ordinary.
Perhaps due to the fur around the neck for decoration, it gave off a strong winter vibe.
"Have you ever been here, Baek Yu-Seol?"
"I've never been there."
But in the Aether World, it was a place he had visited dozens of times.
Why did he visit so often?
There were reasons for gamers to come in droves.
Firstly, because it was good for grinding.
Secondly... because the difficulty was so extreme that the clear rate was incredibly low, leading to endless retries.
Unfortunately, the fact that Baek Yu-Seol was familiar with this place was the second reason.
‘That damned Twelve New Moon. What was it?’
‘How many deaths did my character face just to clear the episodes?’
So, while the worry was inevitable, it was okay.
Here, relying on his own rich experience rather than spec, he was confident he’d navigate as safely and surely as possible.
'... But still, I must be prepared for the danger.'
The procession of automated carriages had long left the land, and raced along waterways designed atop the sea.
Soon after, he felt a biting chill.
Since Baek Yu-Seol already wore the coat beforehand, he hardly felt the cold, but Pahan, who was sitting opposite him, was shivering noticeably despite being bundled up in padding.
"Ugh, it's... cold...."
"Stop shivering and enjoy the scenery outside."
"Y-yes?"
Perhaps thinking it wasn't the time to attend to business, Markruck also put down his documents and gazed out the window.
Likewise, although Baek Yu-Seol knew what magnificent sights lay beyond, he turned his gaze out the window, calming his pounding heart.
… At that moment, they were overwhelmed by the sight which barred their vision.
In the middle of the distant sea, there was a massive pirate ship.
Unfortunately, the pirate ship was being sucked into a colossal whirlpool with a diameter of 1km...
"Wait. What's that...?"
The pirate ship wasn't being sucked into the whirlpool.
The pirate ship remained frozen as if it was being sucked into the whirlpool.
The pillar connecting the sea and the sky.
The whirlpool had a diameter of 1km.
The giant waves as high as 100m.
The sinking pirate ship.
Everything was frozen, frozen in time.
"... It's breathtaking every time I see it."
Markruck adjusted his glasses and said.
"Even though it's your first time here, I suppose you're not that surprised? Usually, this reaction is normal, you know."
Markruck laughed while pointing at the stunned Pahan, who had his mouth wide open.
"It's my first time, but I've read a lot of books.”
In fact, he had seen it graphically in the Aether World many times.
Of course, the spectacle was so vivid and dynamic compared to the graphics in the game that, he too, momentarily lost his wits, but he didn't feel the need to say so.
"Hahaha. I've heard the stories many times, but seeing it in person is a bit shocking..."
Such reactions were normal.
Perhaps the others in the carriages on the other side might not react any differently.
Witnessing the world frozen like that brought about a truly... peculiar sense of awe in many ways.
"But what on earth is that ship...?"
"That's the pirate ship 'Black Cross' of the pirate king 'Black Belize,' who ruled all the seas a thousand years ago."
"Ah..."
"That day, a sudden massive wave erupted, causing that monster whirlpool. But there was nothing to worry about. The pirate king Black Belize possessed a very special ability called 'Blessing of the Sea God.'"
A very special blessing that ensured the ship never sank and he never lost to anyone on the sea, no matter what happened.
If it were the legendary pirate king Black Belize, even that whirlpool would have been escapable.
"At that time, everything froze."
"Why...?"
"If I knew that, why wouldn’t I say that already?"
"Th-that's true."
"Anyway, because of that disaster, the port city 'Lisbond' in the Levian Sea completely lost its functionality and ended up being used as a villa for the Adolveit Royal Family."
As his words ended, this time he turned his gaze in the opposite direction.
At the highest point on the Levian coast, there stood a giant castle which shone in blue.
'It’s just a villa.'
No fool would build such a fortress like a villa.
Since ancient times, the Adolveit Royal Family had been quite sincere about uncovering some 'secrets buried in the Levian coast.'
The result was that giant Heavenly Ice Palace.
And why did the Adolveit Royal Family obsess over the secrets of the Levian Coast?
Baek Yu-Seol knew the reason very well, so he quietly closed his eyes.
He was a bit worried because he couldn't meet Hong Bi-Yeon for a few days...
'Still, she'll manage.'
Baek Yu-Seol firmly believed in her.
———-
The Levian Coast, Heavenly Ice Palace.
The grand parade of hundreds of knights raising their staff in a splendid formation didn't impress Hong Bi-Yeon much.
After all, they were all showing reverence not to her but to Queen Hong Se-ryu.
"Have you arrived, Your Majesty?"
Upon entering the Heavenly Ice Palace, a man came out and kneeled.
He was none other than Black Matale, the descendant of Black Belize, who once ruled all the seas. He was currently the lord of the Heavenly Ice Palace.
"Yes. Have you been well during my absence?"
"Thanks to the grace of the sun. You must be tired from the long journey; I'll guide you right away."
"No. Before that, I have somewhere to go with my daughters."
When she gestured, three women in white nun robes appeared from behind, carrying a large treasure chest.
Upon seeing it, Matale widened his eyes and bit his lip tightly. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"... I see. Understood."
The expression on his face undoubtedly betrayed anger.
But he didn't resist and simply stepped back.
'Somewhere to go?'
Listening to the conversation from behind, Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't understand what they were talking about.
But Hong Si-hwa seemed to anticipate the situation. She smiled broadly and patted her shoulder playfully.
"Oh my, little sister. It must be your first time seeing it in person, right?"
"... Please don't talk to me."
"Aww. Why so stiff between us."
The fact that there was something in the affairs of the royal family that she didn't know truly annoyed her.
But she had to endure it.
There might be something more important to learn this time.
"Please proceed."
Black Matale led the way, followed by Queen Hong Se-ryu.
Hong Si-hwa followed briskly with light steps like a swan, but for some reason, none of the guards or attendants followed.
Only the three nun stuck closely behind the queen.
'... Is this a place only accessible to royalty?'
Hong Bi-Yeon followed them slightly slower than Hong Si-hwa.
In the depths of the Heavenly Ice Palace, there existed a secret place whose construction date was unknown.
The corridors were spacious but dark, revealing only enough visibility to see a step ahead.
".... We've arrived."
After walking through the underground corridor for a while, they arrived in front of a giant pupil.
In the center stood a towering altar, and the queen and the three nun climbed the stairs without hesitation.
"What are you doing? Why aren’t you following me?"
Suddenly realizing she was the only one left behind, Hong Bi-Yeon felt a pang of unease.
When Hong Si-hwa, who had been leading, looked back and playfully squinted her eyes, she felt strangely upset.
Rushing up to the altar, the three women surrounded the precious box they had carefully brought.
Eventually, when Hong Se-ryu tapped the box with her staff...
Sssrrr...
Fwwoosh!
The box melted away, revealing the identity of its contents.
"Ah...!"
Unknowingly, Hong Bi-Yeon let out a gasp.
It was none other than the Hwarang Flower.
It was the very heirloom of the royal family she had vowed to obtain at all costs to prevent the end of the Baek Yu-Seol.
However... something was off.
'Why is it burning like that?'
According to legend, the Hwarang Flower didn’t emit as much light as a match flame because it was supposed to be dormant.
But wasn't Hwarang in front of them… It shone dazzlingly like the sun?
"Second Princess, Hong Si-hwa."
"Yes~"
"Third Princess, Hong Bi-Yeon."
"......Yes."
The queen uttered the princesses' names.
"Are you willing to do anything for the royal family and the kingdom?"
It was then that Hong Bi-Yeon realized that something was off.
The vacation to the Levian coast was not simply to banish Hong Bi-Yeon.
'Could it be... me like this....'
Realizing that, Hong Bi-Yeon felt a sense of disappointment.
What could be compared to her current feelings? She felt as if she were falling into an abyss.
"Of course~"
"Third Princess, answer."
While Hong Si-hwa answered, the queen didn't listen.
From the beginning to the end... The queen was looking at Hong Bi-Yeon.
'Ah.'
Eventually, she closed her eyes tightly and let out a laugh.
"Haha...."
But.
It was okay.
Even in the relentless waves of despair, Hong Bi-Yeon felt hope.
‘Baek Yu-Seol, you must have known about this too.'
She believed in him firmly.
He knew everything and could accomplish anything.
He must have known in advance that such a trial would come to her.
And... knowing that she could overcome this trial, he must have sent her off with trust.
Hong Bi-Yeon looked at the queen and the second princess with her ruby-colored eyes shining coldly.
She no longer believed that they were mere humans like her.
"Yes."
So, Hong Bi-Yeon put on a mask.
Like Queen Hong Se-ryu and Hong Si-hwa did.
To hide her emotions which were filled with extreme anger.
She still couldn't believe in them.
"Of course."
But... Since she believed in the country, she could answer without a single hesitation.
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