Episode 12
At dawn, Gahwa, who had hidden herself in the merchant caravan, only let out the breath she’d been holding once she realized it was quiet outside.
“Phew.”
Surprisingly, the inspection wasn’t that strict, so getting out of the city gates had been easy. Thanks to Yeong-yeong’s clever idea of hiding in the innermost crate of the wagon, the guards only checked the boxes in front and never thought to look further in. That was how Gahwa and the dragon managed to slip past undetected. Yeong-yeong’s ingenuity was truly impressive.
‘If I think about it, maybe everything that happens at the inn is actually run by Yeong-yeong.’
Gahwa glanced at the dragon grumbling beside her. He didn’t seem to be doing much of anything.
Sensing her stare, the dragon turned his head.
“What’s with that look?”
One eyebrow arched. Worried she might stir up trouble, Gahwa quickly shook her head and peeked through the crate lid. With only her eyes showing, she checked outside and saw the wagon turning into a mountain road.
The only sounds were those of the caravan’s procession, the horses’ hooves, and the wheels rolling along. Gahwa lifted the lid the rest of the way, confirmed the luggage space was empty, and slipped out.
Thud, thud.
She brushed off her clothes as the dragon followed her out, frowning at his wrinkled garments before smoothing them out with a few flicks of his fingers. Grumbling, he sat on top of the crate where they had been hiding.
“Hard.”
“Wood is hard by nature,” Gahwa answered while straightening her clothes.
“That’s why I said we should bring a silk cushion.”
“If you want that, you should’ve prepared your own caravan.”
Neither of them gave way. Deciding the argument would never end, Gahwa surrendered first and sat at the wagon’s entrance, gazing out.
The city gate was still faintly visible in the distance. As the view of Jooan grew smaller, her heart grew heavier.
The wagon traveled for a long time before entering Hwaju. Unlike green Jooan, Hwaju was a world of white. She had heard that snow fell here outside of summer, and now she saw why. With snow already piled high, the wagon’s pace inevitably slowed.
It wasn’t until six more days of travel that the wagon finally stopped—at a fork where the road split toward Pojae and Gurung. The driver dropped them off with a warning.
“They say monsters are crawling all over Gurung these days, so be careful. Folks stopped going that way, and I haven’t seen any caravans come out of there either. I’m only dropping you off here because the deputy guild master asked me to, but take care.”
“Thank you. I’ll be careful,” Gahwa replied, lowering her voice to sound rougher.
Plop.
When the dragon too landed on the ground, the wagon quickly departed. Gahwa surveyed her surroundings. As she’d heard, the forestry here was thriving—the mountains were thick with trees.
The path leading downward would eventually connect to the mountain road into Gurung. She lifted her head to check the sky. The sun was already sinking westward. Judging by the shadow at her feet, it was just past midday.
Though daylight remained, they would need to hurry if they wanted to climb the mountain.
“We should get moving quickly.”
“Rushing won’t change anything,” the dragon said lazily, plucking a blade of grass to chew. Since he couldn’t carry tobacco in a child’s form, this was his substitute.
He twirled the blade of grass in his mouth, glancing at the ground.
“Better check the compass and the map first.”
“That would be wise,” Gahwa agreed, taking both out of her pack. She had not only a general map but also detailed ones for each province, so navigation wouldn’t be hard.
They found a flat spot, spread out the map of Hwaju and Gurung, and set the compass on it. The needle spun before settling north. Gahwa compared it with the map and pointed.
“Gurung is southwest from here, so we just follow this road downward.”
They began walking, checking the compass along the way.
The dragon kept his eyes on the ground. After half an hour, the forest ended, revealing the mountain entrance.
Gasp.
Gahwa drew in a deep breath. The mountain was so vast its height and breadth couldn’t be taken in at once.
What’s more, a thick mist blanketed the entrance—cut cleanly along the border between Hwaju and Gurung.
The dragon stepped forward, his foot sinking into the fog. Wherever he walked, the mist split, as though something unseen shielded his steps.
It was so uncanny that Gahwa tried the same. But for her, nothing happened; she only trudged through the mist like normal.
Annoyed, she tried several times, but the result was the same.
“Pointless.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“No matter how rugged Gurung is said to be, mist doesn’t form at its entrance. Especially not on a day like this.”
Looking up at the clear sky, Gahwa realized he was right. Not a cloud in sight, the sun shining warmly—conditions that should never produce fog.
Something was definitely wrong.
The coachman’s warning about monsters suddenly seemed all too real.
“So monsters truly appear here?”
“They truly do,” came a hoarse voice.
Startled, Gahwa turned to see an old monk stroking his beard, standing behind them.
“This is your first time in Gurung, is it not?”
She hesitated. The man held a staff and wore tattered monk’s robes, yet despite his age, he had approached without making a sound.
His sudden appearance, combined with the rumors of monsters, put her on guard. She glanced at the dragon, but he only looked at the monk with a bored expression before turning away. Since he showed no alarm, perhaps the old man really was just a monk.
“Yes, this is our first time,” Gahwa replied with a bow. If they were lucky, he might be able to guide them up the mountain.
“And you, venerable one, seem well acquainted with this place?”
The monk tapped the ground with his staff.
“Yes. At the people’s request, I sometimes came here to hunt monsters.”
“Were monsters always this common?”
“Not at first. But at some point they began to swarm, and soon no one dared set foot here. It’s no exaggeration to say every road from Gurung to Hwaju has been cut off.”
Gahwa’s eyes darted. If there really were so many monsters that people had abandoned the route, crossing through to Moju this way would be impossible.
“We’re going through Gurung,” the dragon declared firmly, his gaze fixed far beyond the mountain as though something there was calling him.
“But it will be difficult to pass with so many monsters,” Gahwa protested.
The monk bowed slightly.
“If you truly must go, I can guide you. An old monk I may be, but I can serve as your pathfinder.”
Chuckling, he turned and began walking. Even the dragon followed, leaving Gahwa no choice but to step after them.
“How long does it take to cross Gurung?”
“At least fourteen days. Perhaps longer, depending on one’s pace.”
Fourteen days. Gahwa sighed inwardly. That meant tonight would inevitably be spent sleeping outdoors.
The mountain’s lower slopes were not as harsh as expected. Though Gurung was said to be nine ridges of rugged terrain, not every ridge was equally forbidding.
Thanks to the monk choosing gentler paths, and the fact that merchants had once used this road to travel between Hwaju and Gurung, the ground was firm and even.
What’s more, despite their fears, not a single monster appeared. Yet Gahwa couldn’t shake her unease.
No matter how bold she tried to be, monsters frightened her. Though she had never seen one, she had heard countless tales. Most street gossip revolved around them, and the novels she transcribed overflowed with such creatures.
She knew well how terrifying they were—some devoured humans, others disguised themselves in human form to ensnare their prey.
If they encountered one, she planned to push the dragon forward first. After all, she had seen how he’d split the mist with ease, a display of power far beyond her expectations.
They continued like this for two hours, until the forest grew darker and the undergrowth denser.
“Phew…”
Gahwa caught her breath as they returned to a more level path. After climbing up and down so much, she was exhausted.
Just as she paused to rest, she noticed a strange glow in the bushes. In the darkness, the light shone all the brighter.
Could there really be a house tucked away here? She tugged at the dragon’s sleeve.
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