A rough picture begins to take shape.

**The King of Birds.**

**Philibang, Nacchal, and Biyik.**

And the forces of the **Snake Queen** that will oppose them.

**The Snake Queen.**

The former King of Birds and his subordinate pterosaurs.

Perhaps even **Comfy** the Elder might join.

If he comes, he could definitely catch one of the spirits or even threaten the King of Birds outright.

But that’s not all.

**My aunt, Rania,** is still around.

"Chirp chirp."

Listen to that brave cry.

Isn’t the Snake Queen also brushing my head with her tail?

…So, I’m currently in a state of being captured by the Snake Queen.

The Snake Queen has coiled around my body, and **Shik Shik** is also wrapping around my arm, licking her tongue with a satisfied expression.

It felt like I was embracing a cool, smooth bamboo pillow on this hot day.

In truth, I didn’t have much interest in the dominion of this jungle.

I initially came here to seize the opportunity that **Baek Yeon-young** hinted at.

Then, the King of Birds attacked me, and somehow, I survived and met Shik Shik.

After guiding Shik Shik down the path of mischief, I ended up meeting the Snake Queen.

Having devoured the **Eternal Golden Mandrake**, I had effectively achieved my original goal.

I would have thought that even if I had just accomplished that and escaped right away, I’d have gained something.

But look at my current situation.

It wasn’t by choice, but since I continued to stay here, scraps kept falling.

**Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng** and **Thousand-Year Flower Li**. I also fought against spirits that are hard to encounter, and I was able to hone various techniques, including miniature forms.

I developed my mental technique and even gained the ability to use the formidable technique called **Guest Death Beam**.

This jungle could be seen as a land of opportunity for me.

And I have received quite a lot from this mother-daughter duo of the Snake Queen.

Of course, I sometimes felt like I might get eaten by them in various ways later, but the time for that had not come yet.

At least, I should do some work for what I’ve consumed.

If the Snake Queen diligently puts in effort, more scraps will fall.

Even if it’s not just scraps, I couldn’t bear to see the Snake Queen’s side lose.

…Of course, I didn’t have enough influence to sway the battle significantly.

And I didn’t like the King of Birds.

I didn’t like his claim of dinosaurs being birds, and I didn’t like him shooting destructive rays out of nowhere.

I also didn’t like how he cowardly tricked the **Cockatrice**.

And this time, how he attacked with the **Megalania** was also unacceptable.

After being treated this way, I had to get some payback.

“The princess feels so relieved to have such a dependable companion with her.”

The Snake Queen tickled my scales.

“Hyiek!”

**Shik Shik**, as if refusing to lose, bit my scales.

…No, I don’t have that kind of preference.

The Snake Queen, along with Shik Shik, continued to fumble with my scales and continued her words.

“To finish what I was saying, I think forming an alliance with the former King of Birds is the most important thing.”

The Snake Queen’s words were right.

Though the enemy of my enemy is my friend, nothing has been decided yet.

“If I mention it, he’ll probably accept it willingly, but I should at least bring a gift.”

A gift, huh.

I looked at the Snake Queen with the eyes of a Guest.

“…What’s with that look?”

If you have more elixirs, give me one instead of a gift.

That was the kind of shameless gaze I had.

“Unfortunately, it’s not an elixir. No, it’s not even something I have in my hands yet.”

Oh, is that so?

You should’ve said so earlier.

I’m still curious, though.

…Please don’t tell me it’s something like cutting off my tail as a gift. I have an aversion to lizards.

“**Unicorn**.”

At the Snake Queen’s words, I briefly doubted my ears.

“A horned horse would make for a good gift.”

---

### *

The buildings of the **Heavenly Horse Cult** were not very tall.

It wasn’t due to their beliefs or values, but rather it was an unavoidable consequence of the geographical characteristics.

Since they were located at such a high altitude, known as the **Heavenly Mountains**, they couldn’t build tall structures even if they wanted to.

If the buildings were tall, they would draw the attention of other spirits and could be attacked unnecessarily.

For these reasons, the buildings of the Heavenly Horse Cult were not tall.

The tallest building was merely a modest two-story structure.

It was called **Black Lotus Hall**, named after the title of the current cult leader.

A melodious voice echoed through the Black Lotus Hall.

“Leader! May I ask a small favor from you?”

The leader of the Heavenly Horse Cult, **Baek Yeon-young**, looked at the speaker with indifferent eyes.

“Is it the priestess’s request or the request of Seolhwa?”

The speaker was the priestess of the Heavenly Horse Cult, **Baek Seolhwa**.

“It’s both the priestess’s and Seolhwa’s request.”

Baek Yeon-young nodded slightly.

It was a gesture for her to continue speaking.

“I need some materials. Could you please gather them for me?”

Though she was respectful, her demeanor was not as well-mannered as before.

This was because the request was made by the priestess, who was also Baek Yeon-young’s younger sister.

“What materials?”

Baek Yeon-young replied in a dry tone.

“What materials do you think? Materials needed for the ritual. Since I can’t even see the **Sukgung Temple** because of someone, I need to at least find the horn of a unicorn.”

Seolhwa emphasized the Sukgung Temple as if to highlight its importance.

The Sukgung Temple was one of the essential items for the Heavenly Horse Cult.

It was the material needed for the priestess's prophecy.

However, these days, they couldn’t even see regular lizards, let alone the Sukgung Temple.

The reason was because of Yeon-young.

Since returning from the **Silver Dragon Cave**, she had started what could be called a lizard conservation movement. Even while assigning tasks to roam around the **Ten Thousand Great Mountains**, she personally told them not to touch any lizards.

Especially, she even issued commands not to attack any handsome lizards with scales mixed in turquoise and black, even if they encountered them. While it couldn’t be helped if they attacked, she preferred them to avoid combat whenever possible.

The term “handsome lizard” didn’t make much sense, but the leader’s eccentric behavior was nothing new.

Seolhwa just accepted it.

The problem was that they couldn’t procure lizards.

Thus, they couldn’t create the Sukgung Temple.

“Are you asking me to bring the horn of a unicorn?”

The horn of a unicorn could have similar effects to that of the Sukgung Temple.

In fact, it might even be superior to the Sukgung Temple.

It was probably natural since capturing a unicorn was much more difficult than capturing a lizard.

Seolhwa’s suggestion was valid.

She was respecting Baek Yeon-young’s opinion while bringing a solution to the problem.

“Are you speaking to the leader of the Heavenly Horse Cult?”

Of course, she could say that because she was the one who had asked the leader to go herself.

“Aren’t you about to toss your position aside and go wandering around soon? You’ll probably be whining about wanting to see that handsome lizard.”

“White.”

“What?”

“Not a lizard, but white.”

Goodness.

Now she even gave it a name.

Seolhwa was shocked.

Later, she would probably say she personally taught martial arts to it too.

That thought crossed her mind, but she shook her head, thinking it was too much.

“Uh, anyway, aren’t you going to enter the **Ten Thousand Great Mountains** to meet White?”

“I don’t have any plans for the time being.”

“What? Really?”

Now she seemed to be trying to get her head straight and properly fulfill her role as the leader!

For that to be so touching, they knew each other too well.

“…Do you have something you’re hiding?”

“Nothing.”

That sounded suspicious.

Now that I think about it, she had been going back and forth to the annex quite a bit lately.

Moreover, she had a **Shredder Pack** set up.

As if hiding someone.

It didn’t make sense that the legendary **Baek Yeon-young** was calmly staying here.

“And why are you asking me to do that? Isn’t it a problem that can be solved by having someone else do it?”

She also changed the subject, which was uncharacteristic of her.

Though it was very suspicious, Seolhwa decided to focus on the present.

“No matter what, how could I move the precious followers of our cult at will?”

Then, does that mean the leader is not precious?

Baek Yeon-young swallowed the words she was about to say.

“Actually, that’s true, but who else could find a unicorn but you?”

Seolhwa’s words were correct.

Unicorns were classified as a type of spirit.

Unless someone like Baek Yeon-young, who

 roamed the **Ten Thousand Great Mountains** and was familiar with the terrain, or someone with particularly developed intuition, no one would be able to even find traces of a unicorn.

“Isn’t there one person?”

Baek Yeon-young stared intently at Baek Seolhwa.

“…Leader, are you telling me to go there and come back?”

A person with particularly developed intuition.

If she were the priestess of the Heavenly Horse Cult, she could certainly find a unicorn.

“Is there any reason it can’t be done?”

“Even if I look like this, I’m a priestess of our cult. How could I enter a place swarming with all kinds of spirits in the **Ten Thousand Great Mountains**?”

Sending a priestess to such a place.

Are you out of your mind?

She was saying something ridiculous.

“Hmmm... Even if it’s a spirit, they would be so frightened by the priestess’s face that they would run away. What’s the problem?”

That was like spitting while lying down.

The faces of Yeon-young and Seolhwa were extremely similar.

“I’m scared. How could this frail body come and go in the **Ten Thousand Great Mountains**...”

Baek Yeon-young looked at her with an expression of disbelief.

The current leader of the Heavenly Horse Cult was Baek Yeon-young.

Baek Seolhwa was her sister.

Though she might not be able to do it, Baek Seolhwa’s skills were not to be underestimated.

Most spirits wouldn’t even be able to meet her gaze.

Yet, here she was whining like this.

As Baek Yeon-young stared at her intently, Seolhwa’s pale face gradually flushed red.

She knew she was being shameful.

“No, still, how could the priestess leave her post?”

She decided to act shamelessly.

“It doesn’t make sense for the leader to leave her post.”

“W-Well…”

Baek Seolhwa had never thought she would hear such words from Baek Yeon-young.

“What if someone comes looking for me while I’m away?”

It was a pathetic excuse, but it had no effect.

“Who has the authority to call the priestess?”

“The leader of the Heavenly Horse Cult…?”

“And who else?”

“Um… No one else?”

“Right. That’s all you needed to know.”

There was no need for words since the other party was the leader.

Baek Yeon-young’s words were the doctrines of the Heavenly Horse Cult.

At this point, there was no reason for the priestess not to go.

However, there was a reason she was being so obstinate.

To be precise, it was because Baek Yeon-young wanted her to go as well.

It was very bothersome.

“…If you set your mind to it, it wouldn’t take a day. Go out and enjoy some fresh air while you’re at it, will you?” 

If Baek Yeon-young went, it wouldn’t even take an hour to bring back the horn of a unicorn.

But she decided to correct her sister's habits.

Though their faces were identical, their body shapes were different.

Look at that huge bust.

That must be a symbol of laziness.

She wasn’t lazy, but she knew Seolhwa hated moving her body. That’s why she believed her bust had grown so large.

“I’ll assign a **Guardian Law** to you. You’ll identify the unicorn’s location, and the **Guardian Law** will hunt it down.”

Stop making excuses and go climb a mountain for the first time in a while.

That was the implication.