Chapter 59
Having two consciousnesses didn’t mean her field of vision was limited.
Eloi had simply stepped forward, but Mandy was sharing the same sight.
So she witnessed clearly just how brutally Eloi was being beaten by Zeon.
Eloi’s pain was Mandy’s pain as well.
Naturally, she felt every bit of it.
That was why she could only look at Zeon with a frightened expression.
Zeon spoke.
“Mandy, right?”
“Y-yes…”
“I think I understand the roles you and Eloi take. Matters related to Neo Seoul are handled by you, and fighting is left to Eloi, correct?”
“Yes!”
“I won’t say anything about Eloi coming out. But when negotiating with me or giving information, it has to be Mandy. Can you do that?”
“I… can.”
“Okay. Let’s settle it like that from now on.”
“Is that all?”
“What do you mean?”
Zeon tilted his head slightly, puzzled, and Mandy answered carefully.
“E-Eloi was rude to you…”
“Oh, that? It’s fine. It wasn’t really dangerous anyway.”
Zeon let out a faint chuckle, as if it were nothing.
Eloi was definitely strong.
If measured by awakened ranks, she would easily be at least B-rank.
Especially the skill she used at the end—it was quite dangerous.
If it had been someone other than Zeon, they would have been seriously injured or overwhelmed.
Eloi was that skilled in combat against people.
The problem was that Zeon was even more skilled.
In the seven years since parting ways with Deioden, Zeon had fought countless battles.
Most were against magical beasts, but he had fought plenty of humans too.
Local natives, scavengers—many had targeted him.
He had survived them all.
The experience he accumulated was on a completely different level from Eloi’s.
Thanks to that, he was able to subdue her without even using sand.
Mandy muttered in disbelief.
“But Eloi is strong…”
“She is. With a bit more experience, she could become dangerous… Ah, for now, drink this.”
Zeon suddenly pulled out a small vial from inside his robe and handed it to her.
“What is this?”
“You can think of it as a kind of healing potion. It heals most injuries quickly once you take it. Oh—and before drinking it, make sure to set any broken bones. Otherwise, they might heal misaligned.”
Mandy’s nose had been broken.
It had been struck by Zeon’s knee.
Only then did she realize her condition and reset her nose.
Crack!
As the broken bone snapped back into place, breathing became much easier.
Mandy drank the mysterious potion Zeon had given her.
The moment she swallowed it, a strange refreshing sensation spread through her.
Heat rose in her broken nose and fractured arms.
It was a sign that the bones were healing.
Startled, Mandy stared at the empty vial.
“What is this? I’ve never heard of a healing potion like this.”
“It’s made by mixing the blood of several magical beasts with herbs. Pretty useful, right?”
“This is way beyond just ‘useful.’”
Even in Neo Seoul, she had never seen a potion this effective.
If this were brought there, it would cause a huge uproar.
Just what is this man…?
He was beyond her understanding.
He knew everything about the desert and possessed terrifying strength.
If someone like him had existed in Neo Seoul, she would definitely have known.
The fact that she didn’t meant he hadn’t grown up there.
So someone this strong exists outside Neo Seoul…
Unconsciously, she rubbed her arms.
Goosebumps had risen.
Inside her, Eloi was making a fuss, saying she was overreacting.
Claiming that if they fought again, she could win.
But Mandy knew.
Even if Eloi came out again, she wouldn’t stand a chance against Zeon.
Mandy asked,
“What do you want to know?”
“Have you ever heard of Elharun?”
“What is that?”
Mandy tilted her head, unfamiliar with the word.
“You don’t know? It’s supposed to be a city made by the other races that crossed over from Kurayan.”
“What? Those bastards built a city?”
Suddenly, Eloi’s personality burst out again.
Ignoring Zeon’s reaction, she exploded in anger.
“They really built a city? Like Neo Seoul? Tell me where it is!”
“I clearly said I wanted to speak with Mandy, not Eloi. It seems you forget lessons quickly.”
“Ah… that… fuck! Sorry. I just… got pissed off without realizing…”
“Why are you the one getting angry? Your kind should be there too.”
“You think I’m the result of love? I’m trash born from an elf bastard raping my mother. You think I’d like hearing that? Tell me where it is. I’ll go there right now and kill them all.”
Eloi radiated killing intent as she raged.
She looked ready to charge there immediately if she knew the location.
Zeon looked at her and said calmly,
“You’re of no help at all. Bring Mandy out.”
“Hey!”
“If you don’t actually want to die…”
“You fucking bastard!”
With a final curse, Eloi withdrew.
Mandy reappeared.
Shaking her head with a confused expression, she spoke.
“I’m sorry. When she gets really angry, I can’t control her…”
“That’s fine. So you really don’t know about Elharun?”
“I’ve never even heard that such a place exists until now.”
“Are there still many other races left in Neo Seoul?”
“Many? There are quite a lot.”
“Weren’t most of them killed in the massacre decades ago?”
“How do you know about that? That’s right—back then, a lot of them were slaughtered. But they multiplied again quickly, like cockroaches.”
Mandy’s tone was filled with hatred toward other races.
Like Eloi, she despised them.
Especially elves.
“Do you think there’s someone among them who might know about Elharun?”
“I… I’m not sure.”
Mandy trailed off.
At that moment, Kim Sang-sik, who had been silently observing, cautiously spoke up.
“If it’s the Ice Queen, she might know.”
“Ice Queen?”
“That’s the title of the ruler of the Northern District.”
“And?”
“She’s a pure elf.”
Zeon looked at Kim Sang-sik with interest.
“So the Ice Queen is a pure elf?”
“Yes. It’s believed she’s a full-blooded elf.”
“That bitch…”
Mandy spat out bitterly.
Neo Seoul was currently divided into five major districts.
At the center stood the mayor, Jin Geumho.
Naturally, he held the greatest authority and oversaw the city’s overall policies.
He was the one who had transformed Seoul—once left in ruins by the side effects of terraforming—into a city where magic and civilization coexisted.
A living monster who had held the mayoral position for over a century with overwhelming public support.
His power was as solid as the towering walls surrounding Neo Seoul.
But there were those who challenged his authority.
The rulers of the four districts—East, West, South, and North.
Though they couldn’t rival Jin Geumho, each ruled their respective territories.
Seden of the East District.
Kim Hyunsoo of the West District.
Xiaolun of the South District.
And finally, the Ice Queen of the North District.
The Ice Queen was an elf.
She rarely appeared in public, to the point that ordinary citizens didn’t even know of her existence.
But she was real.
From behind thick curtains, she governed the Northern District.
That was why there were so many other races there.
Most of the non-human races still surviving in Neo Seoul had settled in the North.
The Ice Queen protected them thoroughly.
“She’ll never talk. She’s a selfish bitch who only cares about her own kind.”
At one point, Mandy had tried to seek refuge under the Ice Queen.
But because she was a half-elf, she wasn’t even granted an audience.
It wasn’t the Ice Queen herself who rejected her.
It was one of her subordinates.
That man took immense pride in being a pure-blooded elf.
When he saw young Mandy arrive in shabby condition and learned she was a half-elf, he humiliated her brutally.
After that incident, Mandy developed a deep aversion to the Northern District.
Even though it wasn’t the Ice Queen herself who had insulted her.
Since then, Mandy never returned to the North, and even hearing about the Ice Queen made her shudder.
Zeon’s reaction was different.
“Thank you. That’s useful information. If it’s her, there’s a good chance she knows about Elharun.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“But you know you need to keep this a secret, right?”
“Of course.”
“Good.”
Zeon nodded.
For now, it was a secret that had to be kept.
Though not widely known yet, someday people would learn that a city called Elharun existed.
Perhaps the leaders of Neo Seoul already knew.
They just didn’t know where it was located.
Zeon was the same.
After Deioden died along with Hieltun, Zeon wandered the world.
One of the places he visited was the Kamchatka Colony.
He had gone there to search for Elharun, which he believed was somewhere nearby.
He was confident he could find it easily with his abilities.
But reality was different.
No matter how much he searched, Elharun never appeared.
Only then did Zeon realize that Elharun was hidden by special means.
Probably concealed perfectly by some kind of barrier or magic.
The moment he realized that, he gave up searching for it without hesitation.
There were many places he wanted to see.
He didn’t want to waste time obsessing over just one location.
So he left the Kamchatka Colony and continued wandering.
The Ice Queen, huh… If I enter Neo Seoul, I’ll definitely have to meet her.
He hadn’t found a definite answer, but he had at least grasped a clue.
That was enough to return to Neo Seoul with peace of mind.
Zeon started walking.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
“Thank you.”
Mandy and Kim Sang-sik followed behind him.
Kim Sang-sik felt relieved that Zeon hadn’t abandoned him.
At that moment, Mandy approached him and whispered,
“If what happened here leaks out, Eloi will kill you.”
“Eloi? I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never seen anyone like that.”
“Make sure you keep it that way.”
“Don’t worry. I value my life.”
“We’ll see.”
Mandy’s words sent a chill down Kim Sang-sik’s spine.
Until now, she had kept the fact that she had two personalities completely hidden.
As well as the fact that she was a half-elf.
If even one of those secrets got out, she would be in serious trouble.
That was the basis of her threat.
Now Kim Sang-sik had to keep not only Zeon’s secret, but Mandy’s as well.
Fortunately, Kim Sang-sik was someone who could keep his mouth shut.
He swore to himself that no matter what happened, he would keep the secret, and glanced around.
There was no sign of Anika and Felix’s bodies.
They had likely already been digested inside a sandworm.
Thinking that he could have ended up the same way sent a chill down his spine.
Just then—
Shhhh!
The sand suddenly surged upward, and sandworms emerged.
They circled briefly around Zeon, Mandy, and Kim Sang-sik.
At that moment, Zeon lightly stomped his foot.
Thud!
A short but powerful vibration spread through the sand.
The sandworms followed the vibration and disappeared into the distance.
Kim Sang-sik covered his mouth in shock at the unbelievable sight.
Just what kind of man is he…?