Broken tables and chairs lay scattered across the base camp, riddled with bullet holes. The camp was steeped in a tense, suffocating silence. None of the five people inside dared to speak.

First was Commander Kwon. After seeing all the mercenaries guarding the entrance knocked unconscious, he had remained silent ever since. It was a matter of pride. Had their opponent intended to kill rather than show restraint, the entire camp would have been annihilated.

The dwarf sitting next to him wasn’t feeling much better. After being thrown out earlier, he had returned with a large bump on his forehead, massaging it with one of his ring-laden hands. His demeanor was nothing short of pitiful.

The Saintess, at least, had the sense to keep quiet, though she occasionally muttered about the "snow field," only to cut herself off. But the one who caused the most awkwardness was the Saintess’s mother.

Still wearing her transparent cloak, the cause of all this silence sat with her hands trembling slightly. It seemed she was too ashamed to lift her head.

It wasn’t hard to understand why.

After all, she had accused him of defiling her daughter’s “snow field” and fired bullets over a misunderstanding. Anyone would be embarrassed after such an incident.

Of course, understanding didn’t equate to forgiveness. At least not for Yeomyeong. He had no intention of forgiving her. However, slicing off her head wasn’t an option at the moment, so he let out a sigh and finally spoke.

“So, what should we do now?”

His golden eyes swept over the other four. The dwarf, the Seonjook Mercenary Corps, the Saintess and her mother, and himself—it was time to sort through the tangled thoughts and motives between them all.

“If no one has any suggestions, I have a proposal. Let’s take turns stating what we want. Clearly, there have been some… misunderstandings.”

The first to respond was the dwarf, who raised his free hand while still massaging his bump.

“Not a bad idea. I’m in favor.”

He had the composure of a businessman. Seeing no objections from the others, Yeomyeong gestured for him to go first.

“Well, would you like to start?”

“If you don’t mind, I shall.”

Clearing his throat, the dwarf brushed off his clothes, trying to regain a semblance of dignity despite the lump on his head.

He turned to the Saintess and began.

“Then… Saintess?”

“Yes?”

“On behalf of Dungan Heavy Industries and the Seonjook Mercenary Corps, I have a proposal for you.”

The dwarf then repeated the explanation he had given to Yeomyeong: the treasure hidden in Manju, guarded by a dragon. A small group of superhumans would be assembled, and he wanted the Saintess to accompany them.

The moment he finished, the Saintess spoke up.

“That treasure… is it located near the northern part of the Xing'an Mountains?”

“…What?”

There was a brief silence followed by the dwarf’s mouth hanging open in surprise.

“How… how do you know that?”

“Well…”

The Saintess hesitated, glancing between Yeomyeong and the dwarf. Despite her thick blindfold, her smirking lips made it clear she was up to something.

“I happen to have some business in that area too.”

Yeomyeong averted his gaze, not wanting to look at her any longer. And then, the Saintess raised her hand lightly.

“Then, it’s my turn to speak now, right?”

“Um, Saintess, about our offer—”

“I’ll give you my answer later.”

She silenced the dwarf by pressing a finger to his lips and fixed her attention on Yeomyeong.

“Hmm, Cheon Yeomyeong… Should I call you Yeomyeong? Or maybe ‘oppa’? What would you prefer?”

Yeomyeong frowned. Oppa? What kind of ridiculous nickname was that?

“…Just call me Yeomyeong.”

“Alright then, Yeomyeong. Remember what I told you this morning?”

Instead of answering, Yeomyeong gave a small nod. She had asked him to be her bodyguard while she looked for something in Manju. Of course, he had rejected her outright.

“My demand remains the same. So, what do you say?”

“My answer hasn’t changed either. No.”

Although it was a repeat of their conversation in the recovery room, the Saintess’s response this time was different.

She smiled meaningfully and turned back to the dwarf.

“Darulma, I’ll join you in searching for the treasure. But on one condition—he comes with us.”

“….”

“Mercenaries should do as the mercenary corps tells them, shouldn’t they?”

The dwarf didn’t respond. He simply looked between Yeomyeong and the Saintess in confusion.

What’s she trying to pull now? Yeomyeong wondered as he spoke.

“I’ve already left the mercenary corps.”

“What? Why?!”

“If you want to know why, ask the dwarf.”

“What? You left the corps just because you hate him that much?”

Yeomyeong raised a hand, cutting her off.

“It’s my turn to speak now.”

The Saintess, her mouth half open, sighed and folded her arms. Yeomyeong loosened the scabbard from his waist, placing it across his lap as he addressed the invisible cloak.

“You’re the Saintess’s mother, correct? May I ask you a question?”

“…Yes.”

“Someone shot at me because of a misunderstanding, and someone else tried to manipulate me for their own purposes.”

Yeomyeong glanced at the dwarf and Commander Kwon. The dwarf coughed and turned his head away, while Commander Kwon quietly rubbed his lips.

At least they seemed somewhat ashamed. Or they were faking it, perhaps. Either way, they weren’t being shameless about it, which meant there was more to gain from using words than blades.

Yeomyeong licked his lips and continued.

“Honestly, I don’t know how to handle this situation. You’re older than me, so I’ll ask for your advice as a form of respect.”

He blinked slowly, his tone deliberate but polite.

“What kind of compensation do you think I deserve?”

As soon as the word “compensation” left his lips, the dwarf’s expression changed. He leaned over to whisper something to Commander Kwon, who then quietly stood up and left the base camp.

But the woman behind the transparent cloak remained silent. Her hands clenched tightly, as if deep in thought.

Yeomyeong waited patiently until finally, a calm, low voice emerged from the cloak.

“It seems this conversation will take some time. Would you wait a moment?”

The faint mana embedded in her voice formed a link between her and Yeomyeong, as though casting a spell.

Yeomyeong debated whether or not to draw his sword but ultimately let the spell connect.

It wasn’t that he sensed any hostility, and part of him was curious about what she was plotting.

When the magical link was established, her voice echoed inside his mind.

-There’s no need to be so cautious. It’s just simple telepathy. Since there are many ears listening, I had no choice but to speak this way.

Telepathy? Indeed, it seemed neither the dwarf nor the Saintess could hear her voice.

“First of all… as the Saintess’s guardian, I will not apologize for what I did.”

Even as she said that out loud, her telepathic message told a very different story.

-Cheon Yeomyeong… or should I say Dung Beetle? My name is Morine. I am the CEO of the Blue Rat and the mother of the Saintess.

“As her mother, I simply did what was necessary. There were no personal feelings involved.”

-As the CEO, I sincerely apologize. Not just for this incident, but also for the disrespect and mistakes my employees have shown you in the past.

Yeomyeong’s hand clenched around the hilt of his sword. She knew who he was as the Dung Beetle, but it seemed she didn’t know how he became Cheon Yeomyeong.

If Morine had known that, she wouldn’t be wasting time with such tedious telepathy. She would have made a life-or-death move.

“And to be perfectly honest, don’t you think it’s your own fault for acting in a way that could be misunderstood? Surely, you know the life of a mere mercenary is worth less than the Saintess’s?”

 

Life’s worth, huh. Yeomyeong knew she didn’t truly mean it, but it didn’t make the words any less grating. He kept his mouth shut, responding internally.

-Why are you putting on this performance?

-Because what I’m about to say is something my daughter shouldn’t hear.

-…

-Do you know why my daughter is the Saintess?

-I couldn’t care less.

-A person who receives the blessing of foresight from the Five Gods. If it’s a man, they’re called a Saint. If it’s a woman, a Saintess.

-Foresight?

Yeomyeong’s eyes narrowed unconsciously. Foresight? That explained so much.

The Saintess had found him while he was fighting the dragon and was the first to know about the catastrophe in North Manju. Even the swift deployment of support to the Manju base was due to her.

If all of this was a result of her foresight, her mysterious actions suddenly made sense.

-Foresight is a powerful ability. Depending on her condition, she can glimpse the future multiple times.

Yeomyeong blinked slowly, his golden eyes focusing on the Saintess’s face behind the invisible cloak.

-But it doesn’t mean she can control all futures. Once she sees a future, she can’t see it again, and the gods don’t guide her on how to change the future for the better.

-…

-As with all free will, even well-intentioned actions can lead to disaster… It’s a dangerous ability.

-So, what’s the point of telling me all this about the Saintess?

Yeomyeong’s sarcastic response made the cloak shift slightly. A deep sigh followed.

-The moment my daughter became the Saintess, I, too, saw a future.

-…

-The future I saw for her was not a happy one.

The telepathic message carried an overwhelming sense of sorrow, something Yeomyeong had never experienced before—a mother’s sorrow.

-She will become a hero’s companion and save the world, but she will never find her own happiness. She will be left unchosen by the one she loves, grow old alone in the Holy City, and… die a lonely death.

Yeomyeong glanced at the invisible cloak with a sinking feeling. Could it be?

-The moment my daughter spoke of you, I thought: Because of you… because she played with fire with you… that’s why my daughter won’t find love.

Yeomyeong took a deep breath, gripping his sword’s hilt tightly. So all this talk about fate and snow fields… was because of that?

-Did you try to kill me for that? Just to change your daughter’s fate? Without any proof?

-…Yes.

It was selfish and cruel. Certainly, something not meant to be said in front of the Saintess.

Perhaps the Saintess was a bit unhinged because of her foresight, but it seemed her mother was just as affected by what she had seen.

But regardless of that, Morine continued her telepathy.

-But after seeing my daughter’s expression when you took her hostage… I began to think differently.

-You changed your mind because I took her hostage?

A small chuckle. Then a sigh.

-I know it sounds strange. But what can I do? My daughter was enjoying herself.

Enjoying herself? Yeomyeong was at a loss for words.

It seemed like both mother and daughter were insane.

The daughter was deranged due to her ability to see the future, and the mother had lost her mind after seeing her daughter’s future.

And the craziest part was that Yeomyeong, even if only slightly, understood them.

Of course, having never known his own parents, he was all too familiar with the madness of parental love. The kind of madness that would lead someone to pull the trigger to protect their child’s future, no matter who stood in their way.

Perhaps that was why he felt a sense of loathing toward Morine. The kind of loathing you feel for something you understand all too well.

But there was one thing Yeomyeong was sure of.

Morine knew he was once the Dung Beetle, but she had no idea why he had become Cheon Yeomyeong.

If she had known, she wouldn’t be resorting to such ridiculous telepathy. She would have chosen a more decisive confrontation.

-I have a proposal for you, Yeomyeong.

-You’ve been rambling all this time, and now you want to propose something?

-Please give your youth to my daughter.

-…

-In exchange, I will give you all the information and wealth I possess.

It was an insulting offer to both him and the Saintess.

Unable to contain himself, Yeomyeong released his mana. The air around him rippled violently as the surrounding atmosphere surged.

-Look for someone else to sell your youth business to.

-My daughter struggles to make friends. She only has one peer, and they haven’t met in three years.

-Go to hell.

-What must I do to convince you? Should I kneel and beg?

The chair hidden beneath the cloak shifted. Morine stood up. She looked ready to kneel any moment, but thankfully, that didn’t happen.

Before she could do so, the Saintess leapt up, placing herself between Yeomyeong and Morine.

“Ugh, enough already!”