EPISODE 9

Needless to say, the person I feared most in my previous life was my father, the Iron-Blooded Lord.

I never even had a proper conversation with him. In fact, the number of times I had met him face-to-face could be counted on one hand.

Nevertheless, as someone who bore the Badniker surname and lived off the family's wealth, the Iron-Blooded Lord's influence became an invisible pressure that bound me.

In other words, my fear of him was an abstract and unproven kind of fear.

On the other hand, Arjan, who stood before me, represented a proven fear.

In my previous life, just seeing Arjan's face would be enough to make me shiver, and I would go to great lengths to avoid her. What scared me most, even more than the violence, was her uniquely cold gaze.

She looks exactly like I remember her.

This was the same expression she wore when she beat me silently like a machine.

Back then, I couldn't even speak to her. She would keep swinging her fists even when I apologized for my mistake. Therefore, I couldn't help feeling afraid in my immature days.

Yet, that fear was precisely why I was curious. I had often wondered how I would feel if I ever saw Arjan again.

The body and soul were inseparable concepts, and the fear that had been imprinted on my body was surprisingly tenacious.

Now, the opportunity to resolve that curiosity arrived unexpectedly.

"Hello," I greeted.

As expected, I was fine. After all, I had been beaten up 1,000 times by someone far scarier than Arjan over the course of ten years.

At that moment, I realized that it wasn't all that important. The truth was that, in the future, I would never succumb to violence from anyone.

"Hello, Young Master Luan. It has been a while."

"What's this all about?" I asked.

"My apologies." Arjan bowed deeply, her waist forming a right angle. "I intended to spend at least another week in self-reflection, but I overheard from the servants something that I couldn't ignore."

"Something you couldn't ignore?" I asked.

"I heard that the Fang Knights have come to take you back home, Young Master Luan," Arjan replied.

I nodded, puzzled. "That's correct."

It had only happened moments ago, so I was shocked that it had already reached Arjan's ears.

There is no way that she overheard.

This suggested that some people in this mansion were acting as Arjan's eyes and ears. It was also possible that the servants had reported it without her consent.

If it were the former, Arjan could be more sinister than I had imagined.

"Naturally, I am glad to hear that you will be returning home, Young Master Luan. However, I heard that the journey involves passing through the Jewel Mountains," Arjan said.

"That is what the knights said," I replied.

Arjan fell silent. It felt like she was sighing, yet her expression conveyed a sense that her young master was ignorant of ways of the world.

"Young Master Luan, do you know what kind of place the Jewel Mountains are?" she asked.

"It is the largest mountain range in the empire," I answered.

"Other than that?" she pressed.

"Well, the name is a bit unusual. Maybe it has a mine."

I had worked as a mercenary in my past life, but my knowledge of the empire's geography was limited.

This was because my areas of activity had been completely different from the beginning.

Back then, merely hearing the Badniker name would put immense pressure on me. Thus, whenever possible, I would work in remote areas of the empire where that surname couldn't be heard.

"It is one of the four Forbidden Zones in the empire. Do you know what the word forbidden means?" Arjan asked.

I knew this much but deliberately kept quiet.

As expected, Arjan continued, "Although it is considered imperial territory, it is a land that the empire hasn't conquered."

I remained silent.

"The empire sent troops to the danger zone time and again but achieved no significant results. In the end, they decided it was more practical to leave it alone rather than attempt to conquer it. As such, entry was prohibited, and it was designated as a restricted area," Arjan concluded.

I laughed because I assumed it was a joke.

However, when I noticed her expression, I realized she wasn't kidding and stopped.

"Didn't the knights come here through the mountains?" I wondered aloud. "It doesn't seem particularly dangerous."

"Wasn't it just one time?" Arjan countered, raising her index finger. "One instance doesn't have statistical significance."

It was a valid point.

From what I was hearing, the Jewel Mountains seemed much more dangerous than I had expected.

However, there was one thing that Arjan didn't know.

"In any case, I have to go," I said.

"Do you want to go home that badly?" she asked.

"That isn't the case," I replied. "This is the family head's order."

Then for the first time, surprise spread across Arjan's calm face.

"Arjan, as someone who worked in the main house, you'd know better than I do, right? This isn't something you can refuse," I said.

"I see. That makes sense."

Surprisingly, she accepted the explanation easily.

Maybe it wasn't Arjan who had trouble communicating but my past self.

Just as this thought crossed my mind, Arjan looked at me and said something unexpectedly shocking. "Then I will accompany you."

***

The next day.

The Fang Knights returned to the mansion before the sun had even risen.

They spotted me standing in front of the mansion and then turned to Arjan, asking, "Who is that?"

"This is our butler, Arjan. She is the pride of our mansion and will accompany me this time," I answered.

"Um..."

Two out of the five knights stared blankly at Arjan. They must have encountered noble ladies often due to their profession, but they still seemed impressed by her appearance.

Osel was the only one who narrowed his eyes. "This is not the kind of place where a butler can easily tread."

At that moment, I sensed a discomfort I hadn't noticed before and lifted my head.

I stared at Osel's smug face, but he didn't look away, maintaining eye contact to the very end.

As we exchanged looks in silence, Arjan said, "I can protect my—"

I cut her off, "Are you telling me to go to a mountain range without a single attendant?"

I continued with a frown, "Can't I do that? Of course, I'd consider it if one of the knights agrees to exclusively assist me."

I said the last part with a mischievous smile, and the knights' expressions stiffened. Some of them looked at Arjan with pity in their eyes.

"I understand. But keep in mind that in an unexpected situation, the only person we can protect is you, Young Master Luan," Osel remarked.

"That is a given. A butler and the Iron-Blooded Lord's son—it is obvious who should be prioritized," I replied.

My words caused Arjan's expression to stiffen.

Instead of looking at Arjan, I slowly turned my gaze to Osel. If he had something to say, he could say it.

Then, like last time, he smirked and asked, "Shall we set off now?"

***

"The Jewel Mountains are located southeast of the imperial capital, with an average altitude of 3,000 meters. It is nowhere near the highest peak on the continent, the danger here has little to do with their height," Arjan explained.

Silence ensued.

"It is due to the monsters that inhabit the Jewel Mountains. Young Master Luan, please wake up."

"I wasn't sleeping," I answered while swallowing the saliva that had collected in my mouth.

Arjan stared at me for a long moment before resuming her explanation.

I pretended to listen, my gaze shifting out the window.

It was calm—naturally so, given that we had spent most of the day traveling.

On the day we departed, we stopped at a nearby village after leaving the mansion. From there, we found a carriage bound for the Jewel Mountains, boarded it, and spent the first night sleeping outdoors.

Of course, Osel covered all the expenses.

As soon as the sun rose, we set off again.

If Osel's words were true, we would reach the mountain range this afternoon.

"It is surprisingly quick. Were the mountains so close to our mansion?" I wondered aloud.

"It is because the Jewel Mountains are vast. If you are southeast of the imperial capital, you'll encounter them no matter where you go."

"Got it."

"It is said that new plants and animals are discovered with every expedition into the Jewel Mountains. This is why some scholars interpret the name literally—because the probability of mutations occurring here is high due to the mountainous environment. But generally, at the beginning..."

My eyelids became heavy again as I listened to the explanation.

I acted quickly before I could fall asleep once more. "Arjan."

"Yes."

"Enough with the details. Just tell me the main points," I demanded.

Arjan sounded perplexed. "I am already talking about the main points."

She is? I suppose the few hundred words she uttered with a serious expression are all the main points.

"Why is it called the Jewel Mountains in the first place? Is there a mine?"

I likely asked a similar question before we left but never received an answer.

Arjan blinked, her expression suggesting she hadn't expected me to ask such a simple question. Then again, she was someone who rarely showed emotional changes.

She quickly composed herself and continued, "There are monsters in the mountains that you must never face."

"Monsters?"

"Yes. They are particularly dangerous among the mutated creatures. They go by many names, but generally, they are known as one thing." Arjan revealed in a flat voice, "The Jewel Beasts."

"Is it wise to go to a place full of such dangerous existences?" I asked.

"That is why I am accompanying you—to ensure your safety, Young Master Luan," Arjan replied.

She added calmly, "I've heard that the likelihood of encountering a Jewel Beast in the mountain range is about the same as a lightning strike out of the blue. Sir Osel also mentioned we won't go deeper than the mountain range's base, so the odds are even lower."

"A lightning strike out of the blue," I muttered as I looked out the window. "The odds aren't that low."

Just then, the carriage crested a hill. In the distance, the mountain range's great shadow slowly emerged.

***

Two days after leaving the mansion, we entered the Jewel Mountains.