Step aside, woman

"Ugh…!"

A bone cracked as Golden Lion Vice Guild Leader Huang Yeon-ha stood up, holding her throbbing skull.

"Damn, my bones are going to break."

Her last memory was confusing, why was she down? She remembers running away from that monster Field Boss....

"You're up."

"Who…whoop!"

She was beautiful enough to make her blurry eyes flash. The thin clothes woven from natural fabrics, the necklace with amber and the bird feathers were far from the ready-made products of civilization.

Huang Yeon-ha realized at once that the woman before her was a resident of the gate.

"Who…?"

"My name is Hildir, shaman of the Woodsling tribe. A warrior."

"What, a warrior?"

Huang Yeon-ha looks dumbfounded at the unfamiliar title. But Hildir knelt down and nursed her back to health.

"Because you tried to protect us from those cruel kingdom soldiers."

"Ah...."

It was then that Yeonha realized that these were the "slaughtered tribesmen." And just then, the tent opened and someone entered.

"My Sister~ You're alive!"

"What?"

Golden Chul, the guild leader of the Golden Lion Guild walked into the tent.

"What happened?"

"We ran away…I think I've avoided being tracked."

"Tracked? Eh, I don't remember."

Yeon-ha ruffles her hair and demands an explanation.

"What do you remember?"

"That…the ground was crushed and that I ran away...."

"A whole day's worth of memories, no wonder."

Golden Chul said, gently stroking his sister's head while Yeon-ha, who was still in pain and unable to speak up as usual, listened in silence as he explained.

"After the spell failed, we made a beeline for it. They only had light infantry, so it was hard to track us, but...."

Holy Knight Georgic chased the Hunters with a handful of knights since he was not satisfied with the dozens of prisoners they had already taken.

"From there, the warriors of the Woodsling tribe here helped. We were able to stop them with a trap, but when you fought one of them, you were hit with a hammer."

For two days afterward, Yeon-ha did not open her eyes.

"Be thankful. If it weren't for shaman Hildir here, you'd be dead."

"Where are the healers?"

"For some reason, they couldn't heal you."

"Holy Knight, Georgic, has a curse that prevents people from healing others' wounds. It's a reversal of the power of healing and regeneration."

Hildir pulled her t-shirt off and Yeon-ha blushed at the suddenness of the action, but then realized that something had been imprinted on the underside of her navel.

"What is this!"

"It's a spell imprint I made to restore you to health. It has restored your body."

Yeon-ha looked at her brother and he shrugged.

"They say it's a power unique to the tribes in this area, and the power granted varies depending on the imprint."

"Really?"

"By the way, can you get up, so I can take you to the meeting, if you don't mind?"

"I can do that."

Yeon-ha rose from her sickbed and headed for the tent set up as an emergency meeting room as Hildir followed them.

"Oh, you're awake, aren't you?"

"Are you okay?"

Yong-wan and Ha Yuri were there as well. All the main leaders of the raid were there, along with some unfamiliar faces.

"You've awakened, warrior."

"Who...."

"My name is Beldi, chieftain of the Woodsling tribe."

"I am Grisly, Chief of the Bearsun tribe."

"I am Urzon, Chief of the Balterhorn tribe."

There were several other tribal chiefs there, all of whom appeared to be natives of the area.

'What the hell. When did they get together like this?'

'This quest, apparently, it's not just a raid.'

NPCs can be hostile or friendly but the goal of the quest is to defeat the field boss, Majestic Georgic, and stop the massacre.

One way to do this is to enlist the help of the tribes on the receiving end of the massacre.

"Since everyone is here, let's start the tactical meeting right away."

Lee Yong-wan asked Woodsling Shaman Hildir to explain for the stunned Huang Yeon-ha.

"The king's army has been slaughtering and plundering us, calling us heretics, skinning us and executing us in horrible ways."

The trigger was a show of force by a fed-up tribe.

They fought back and killed the knights and soldiers who were executing and setting fire to the elderly and infirm but that only invited more force.

"The Holy Knight Georgic…that horrible monster had already wiped out three tribes."

The remaining tribes either fled deeper into the woods or defended their homes. The Woodsling, Bearsun, and Balterhorn tribes united to fight back.

"But the creature's power is too great. We called upon our gods for help… and this is how the warriors came to save us."

"...."

Huang Yeon-ha was somewhat convinced. In short, they would act as heroes and receive support to repel the kingdom's forces.

This seems to be the core of this Jeju Island Red Gate.

"That guy… he's damn strong."

The 150 elite raiders were helplessly defeated even with four S-class Hunters.

"Georgic has a defense that can block the charge of a giant bull, and a recovery that can regenerate even a burned body. Some say he can survive the destruction of his heart, and as long as he lives, his army is similarly blessed."

Yeah, that's the problem. Georgic himself is ridiculously tough, but even the men under his command receive powerful buffs.

"The only attack that worked was a soft-shelled weapon. Was it the MF-07 series from Supreme Heimer, with the ability to channel that magic into energy?"

"Well, yeah."

Yeon-ha looked at her weapon's abilities: Armor penetration up to 65%. That had been the only effective hit.

"I think I'll have to look around for a vanguard item...."

"What's a Vanguard item?"

Hildir asked, one of the tribesmen who hadn't caught on to what the Hunters were saying.

"Oh, a…something that ignores armor to some degree."

In short, impact power. No matter how hard the armor is, it doesn't mean that it will do zero damage to the inside.

After explaining it logically, Hildir nodded as if realizing something.

"I see. The tusk imprint of my tribe's Mazer…it would have a similar effect."

"Mazer's tusk imprint?"

"Yes. It's an imprint that amplifies a warrior's strength and strengthens their resilience. It's what allowed our tribes to stand up to the kingdom's soldiers."

Hildir said she would try the imprint on one of the hunters as a demonstration.

She removed his clothes and imprinted the mark on his skin, and the effect was summarized in a system message.

[Mazer's tusk imprint]

-Increases defense penetration by 35%.

-Muscle strength and endurance increase by 20%.

"Awesome!"

The Hunters asked to get themselves engraved as well.

"Great… With this, we'll be able to take on that monster."

"Warriors."

The tribal leaders bowed.

"Please save us. We will help in any way we can."

For the sake of the slaughtered tribes, Huang Yeon-ha clenched her fists and vowed to save them.

* * * *

Jeju Island Yewol Farm is the largest horse ranch in Korea, supplying one-third of the horses for the country's racetracks.

The peaceful ranch, which usually has only trainers and jockeys, is bustling with people for some reason.

"Wow, real horses."

"My first time on a horse."

It was a large field trip from the Hunter Academy, and the leader is Leon Dragonia Lionheart of the popular Ten Thousand Gods Guild.

"Oh, welcome, Your Majesty."

Rancher Park Soon, who had been warned in advance by the Association staff, greeted Leon with as much humility as he could muster.

"Hmm, thank you for your hospitality on such short notice."

Leon patted him on the shoulder, a rare gesture for a commoner but in the knightly kingdom of Lionheart, the profession of horse breeding is a noble one.

"As I'm sure you've heard, I've come to ask for steeds for my cavalry."

"Yes, yes, yes…! Our Yewol Ranch is the largest ranch in the country, and we supply the most horses for racing! We have some of Japan's most famous racehorse bloodlines, so our horses are very good from the seed!"

"Hmm, yes, the sire of the horse is important. Let's take a look at the horses."

Leon left the rancher behind and approached the cadets.

"To a knight, a horse is a lifelong companion. It is important to be able to communicate with them and become one with them. Get close to them, interact with them, and ride them."

Leon walked over to the trainers and other ranch staff and patted them on the shoulder.

"Be good to them for the day."

Ordinarily, people would have thought he was passing the buck, but Leon was a known king of the Otherworld, and when he asks for a favor with a benevolent smile, few commoners can refuse.

There's something about his natural charm and uncharacteristic aura that makes you feel flattered to be asked.

"Ah, of course!"

"I'll do my best to serve you!"

Knowing that the amount of money delivered by Yappy was not small, the employees were determined to do their best.

"That's a lot of talking."

Just then, a woman walked by with a graceful gait, protected by a parasol held by Ha-ri.

She wore a black dress and a veil covered her face. It's an awkward combination of colors that would be considered cosplay in modern civilization, but there's something noble about the clothes, as if they existed just for her.

Even beyond the veil, the staff and cadets were mesmerized by the sight of Queen Beatrice.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Queen."

"His Majesty has invited me, how could I refuse?"

Queen Beatrice replied politely, casually offering the back of her hand. Leon gladly bent down slightly on one knee and kissed the back of the Queen's hand.

"Will you allow me the honor of serving you?"

"With pleasure."

Joining the queen in inspecting the horses was Ha-ri, naturally dressed as a handmaiden and holding a parasol.

"Your Majesty, these are the finest horses in our ranch."

The horses prepared for Leon and the Queen were among the finest in Yewol Ranch. Some of them were winners of domestic races time and time again.

"Hmm, not bad."

The condition of the horses was not bad. They were proven horses in domestic races and had been bred to the finest stallions, so their bloodlines were the best.

"Not bad."

"Would you like to take a ride?"

"Sure. Would His Majesty recommend one?"

"Hmm, in that case…how about that black one?"

Leon pointed to the previous year's winner, a horse named Black Comet and the rancher nodded, but awkwardly.

"He's a great horse, but…I think he's a little too fierce for a slender lady to ride. He's also a large horse."

"You needn't worry."

At the queen's gentle refusal, the rancher, Mr. Park Soon, stepped back with a worried expression.

"Pick one for you, too."

"Me, too, hmm~"

Ha-ri looked at the horses with anticipation, especially the white horse with the most beautiful, cool mane.

"How about that white horse...."

"That yellow horse has a nice mane and lots of muscle. Take that one."

"...Yes."

Ha-ri meekly complied and walked over to mount the horse.

"Umm, how do I ride this?"

Of course, Ha-ri is a Seoul native and all she knows about horses is what she's seen on TV and Leon's horse, Stallion.

She doesn't know how to ride a horse.

"Why don't you just get on?"

As Ha-ri fidgeted and held the horse's reins carefully, Leon nudged her.

"Move over, commoner (woman)."

Leon held out his hand to Beatrice, ignoring Ha-ri.

"Take my hand, Lady."

"Oh, thank you."

Taking Leon's hand, Beatrice easily climbed on the black horse.

"May this king lead the way?"

"Your Majesty would act as a coachman himself? That would be undeserved."

"It is a knight's virtue and honor to serve such a noble lady as you."

"Ho-ho-ho, thank you, I will accept your favor."

Leon took hold of the reins and gently guided the horse.

The fierce, wild stallion was surprisingly calm under Leon's leadership. But Ha-ri, who hadn't been able to get on the horse until then, is appalled at the pair's behavior.

"This is so discriminatory...."

The difference in their attitudes toward her and the queen is worlds apart. Sighing, Ha-ri jumps up to get on the horse that has no intention of letting her ride.

"Hunter, that will spook the horse!"

"I'm sorry."

The horse whinnied, a little surprised, but Ha-ri managed to get on anyway and hurried after the queen's black steed.

"Miss Ha-ri, I hope you had a good ride?"

"Yes."

For a first-time rider, Ha-ri's riding wasn't bad. This wasn't exactly beginner's luck.

"You have good compatibility with horses. They are gentle and easy to handle."

"Is that so?"

As a beginner, Ha-ri wasn't allowed to run, but he seemed to get the hang of it quickly.

While he was picking out the cadets' horses Chief Kim Jin-soo, who had received a phone call approached Leon.

"Your Majesty."

"What is it?"

"It's an urgent call from the chairman of the Association, and he wants me to tell you that he'd appreciate it if you could take it."

"Of course."

With Leon's permission, Kim Jin-soo switched his phone to speakerphone mode and let Oh Kang-hyuk's voice come through.

"Peace be with you, Your Majesty. It's Oh Kang-hyuk."

"What's going on?"

Oh Kang-hyuk told Leon what he wanted to do, using a beautiful, formal, mass-like language. The short, simple sentences were not a matter of etiquette, but of hearing.

The conclusion of this was──

[Please help me capture the Jeju Island Gate, it's a big deal if the dungeon breaks]

It's already been five days since the combined Firebird Guild and Golden Lion Guild raid entered the gate so the deadline for the Dungeon Break was approaching.

According to one of the raiders who managed to escape, there was a ridiculously strong boss.

"This king will be obliged to help you with it. This king is not a janitor to clean up after you."

[I'm only being rude, of course, because I think it might be of interest to your majesty. I have news from a survivor of that gate]

"A survivor?"

[Yes. We're assuming it has something to do with Your Majesty]

Oh Kang-hyuk paused for a moment before relaying the survivor's testimony.

[The Field Boss of the Gate claims to be a Knight of the Goddess of Life and Abundance.]

A knight of the gods, in that case…

[We don't know if it's real or fake, but we thought it was worthy of Your Majesty's attention.]