The Military Chef of a Ruined World - Chapter 375
Only Noblemtl
Episode 375: The Magical Mirror (5)
“When you were in this demon realm… … what happened… … ?”
When Han Yi-seo asked like that.
Shin Young-jun was the one who gave orders arrogantly to the monsters.
“Um. I’m sorry I didn’t explain it to you in advance. I thought you’d have a hard time believing it even if I told you.”
He spoke politely to people.
“As I said, I survived in the Demon Realm for a long time.”
“I know that.”
“But, you never said that you survived alone, right? Rather… … .”
Despite having such great power.
Shin Young-jun speaks with a bitter smile.
“I could never have survived beyond the demon realm alone.”
“… … .”
“These guys are one of the reasons I was able to survive.”
In that regard.
People looked down at the monster they were riding.
-The great one is showing humility.
‘… … .’
It’s hard to say that I survived thanks to these monsters.
The monsters were completely subjugated to him.
‘It’s not because of these monsters that I survived… … .’
‘Isn’t it because he was so strong that he even had monsters as his subordinates?’
Of course, even the strong need power.
In that sense, it wasn’t a wrong statement.
at that time.
Jo Beom-seok opened his mouth with a look of utter disbelief.
“You subdued all these monsters… …?”
“Hmm? Oh, I guess you could see it that way.”
Or the sight of giving orders to monsters.
The sight of him bowing his head in a cowardly manner in obedience to the order.
People thought that Shin Young-jun subdued the monster and treated it as a subordinate.
“Similar, but a little different. These guys aren’t loyal to me.”
“What are you talking about? You bow your head like that, but you’re not loyal?”
“These guys have a separate entity they owe their loyalty to.”
That gaze is straight ahead.
They headed towards where they were headed.
“Because of their relationship with that being, these guys have no choice but to follow my orders.”
“A relationship… … ?”
“If you approach me thinking that I am just following you, you might get in big trouble.”
What on earth is their relationship?
Are these powerful looking monsters following Shin Young-jun’s orders?
The branch leaders wanted to ask questions, but… … .
at that time.
‘……uh?’
The leaders of each branch.
Through the keen senses of a high-level Awakened user, I was able to notice changes in my surroundings.
“A mistake… … or is it?”
“No, it’s not a mistake.”
At first I thought it was a mistake, but it wasn’t.
The forest is already dark.
The darkness of that forest… … .
“It’s getting darker and darker.”
The deeper you go into the forest, guided by the monsters.
The darkness around them was growing thicker.
‘like…….’
This thick darkness.
As if to say that it is their own territory.
“Everyone, you better be careful.”
“… … ?”
When people are confused by the changes around them.
Shin Young-jun opened his mouth indifferently.
“Their master… … no, the queen of this place.”
Shin Young-jun’s gaze slightly turned towards the sky.
People raised their heads to follow his gaze.
“It’s on par with the giant that emerged from within that curtain… no, it’s something more than that.”
“… … !”
In a forest where darkness has deepened.
In the middle of it.
“Hmm… … I guess it would be right to say it like this for now.”
Someone sitting in the moonlight.
I was looking down on them.
“Welcome to my domain, children of the native species.”
* * *
In a forest covered in thick darkness.
In the midst of that thick darkness, there was the only place where moonlight shone.
Grrrrr… … .
Crunch… … .
‘Living monsters… … .’
‘Did you build the building?’
A gigantic structure created by countless monsters fitting their bodies together.
The moonlight illuminated only the woman sitting on the very top of the building.
“Welcome to my domain, children of the native species.”
Likewise, a chair made by monsters bending down.
The woman who had been sitting leisurely on the chair opened her mouth.
People could not help but be amazed at the sight.
‘beautiful.’
A woman sitting alone in the darkness, bathed in moonlight.
She was looking down at them with an elegant posture, wearing an antique dress like a medieval noblewoman.
‘and…….’
To be in such a dangerous magical realm.
An old-fashioned and elegant appearance that seems so out of place.
That’s why people.
‘I’m scared!’
Rather than being captivated by its beautiful appearance.
Rather, I felt fear.
In this ruined world.
A being that doesn’t fit in with its surroundings is a dangerous being.
Because many awakened people know this from experience.
‘Are you human?’
‘No, it can’t be human. Perhaps… … a monster with extremely strong power.’
and.
As if that thought wasn’t wrong.
-Meet the Queen!!!
‘… … !’
The monsters they rode in.
Bow your head to that woman.
‘queen…….’
Only then.
People could tell that this was the queen that Shin Young-jun had been talking about.
The being that rules over all these monsters.
… … A monster of a higher rank than the giant that appeared within that barrier.
When people are tense because of that overwhelming presence.
She opened her mouth.
“And… … It’s been a long time.”
That gaze.
Turn to the man standing in front.
“My pledge, Shin Young-jun.”
“Yeah. It’s been a while.”
People were shocked by those words.
‘A pledge… … .’
That seemingly powerful being.
“… … I guess I can just call you a pledger?”
“Oh. That’s true, isn’t it?”
With Shin Young-jun.
Because it seemed like we were having a conversation on equal terms.
* * *
‘That’s what they call a pledge… … .’
‘It’s the same with all the other monsters obeying Youngjun… … .’
That woman and Shin Young-jun.
At least we were talking about equality.
“… … If I speak like this, will there be any problems later on… … .”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
‘… … ?’
It seems like some strange confirmation process has taken place.
People who were overwhelmed by the atmosphere were left speechless.
“Hmm, by the way, it seems like you brought a lot of kids.”
Her red eyes turn to the people.
“Why did you bring so many humans to my territory?”
“The monsters that created this winter will come here. We have to face them.”
“Are you talking about troops for him? Hmm! Normally, I wouldn’t be able to tolerate people who aren’t even my children wandering around my territory… … .”
Let those eyes turn towards people.
People couldn’t help but flinch.
“Well, since they were brought by the pledge, let’s move on.”
“Oh, thank you… … .”
“If you are the guest of the pledge, then you are no different from my guest. It seems that you are very tired from the long journey. I will give you a place to unpack and rest. And… … .”
She got up from her chair.
He said as he came down from the wall the monsters had created.
“The pledgee, come this way. It seems like it’s time for us to have a conversation alone for the first time in a while.”
* * *
like that.
When the queen disappeared with Shin Young-jun.
Those left behind among the monsters could not help but be at a loss as to what to do.
But at that time.
“hello?”
“……uh?”
A being emerged from the darkness.
And surprisingly… … .
“Are you… a person?”
“Haha. You seem surprised as if you’re seeing someone for the first time.”
The being that appeared among the hordes of monsters.
Like the queen, it had a human form.
“My name is Lee Beom-jae. I have been asked to guide you for a short period of time.”
“… … My name is Jo Beom-seok.”
A human appeared out of the darkness and held out his hand and said:
First, the group’s commander, Jo Beom-seok, came out and shook hands with him.
“Come this way. I’ll show you where you can stay.”
“Umm… … .”
People moved following Lee Beom-jae’s guidance.
Let’s walk for a few minutes.
A clean, empty lot appeared without a single tree.
“You can set up camp here. I would like to show you proper lodging, but there is no such place.”
“This is enough. We have [an architect]. By the way… … .”
When the Eastern Branch personnel, including Kim Jong-du, began to build a base.
Jo Beom-seok looked at Lee Beom-jae with a suspicious look.
“Are you really human? A monster that looks like a human, like that queen… .”
“This name, Lee Beom-jae, was given to me by my grandfather.”
“… … .”
“Well, even if I say this, you probably won’t believe me. Besides… …what does it matter whether I’m human or not?”
“What does that mean?”
“Aren’t we allies? The important thing is that we have a common enemy.”
In that regard.
Jo Beom-seok said with his eyes wide open.
“alliance?”
“I heard that?”
Lee Beom-jae’s gaze was focused on one place.
The place they walked from.
A gaze directed outside the magic realm.
“An alliance to fight the source of that cold.”
“… … Certainly, Youngjun did say that he was coming here to find additional troops.”
“That force is us.”
Jo Beom-seok asked with a puzzled look.
“Why are you fighting with us? In the first place, can we trust you?”
“Yes? Of course you shouldn’t believe it.”
“……what?”
“Isn’t this the first time we’ve met? Even if we’re both human, we shouldn’t trust each other blindly. Most of those who serve the Queen are monsters. Of course, we shouldn’t trust them, right?”
“What is that?”
“instead.”
He said with a grin.
“You can trust me to fight those monsters.”
“This completely contradicts what I just said.”
“Don’t trust us, trust logic.”
“logic?”
“Do you know why we, no, why so many monsters are trapped in this dark forest?”
“Yeah.”
Jo Beom-seok thought for a moment and opened his mouth.
“Isn’t it because I can’t stand the cold?”
“That’s right. Because of that cold… … we’re forced into this small area, fighting in a turf war we don’t want to fight in.”
“… … That means.”
“If you came to the Demon Realm to fight the cause of that cold, then I can only tell you that you have found the answer.”
A man who still smiles.
But even though his eyes were smiling, his mouth was not.
“No one hates the source of that coldness more than the people of the Demon Realm.”
“… … !”
Only then did Jo Beom-seok nod his head.
Regardless of whether you believe them or not.
It was certain that these people would hate the cause of that coldness.
“……excuse me.”
“Yes. Do you have any questions?”
After finishing the conversation with Jo Beom-seok.
Han Yi-seo came out hesitantly and asked a question.
“You guys… …what are your identities?”
“Well, it’s hard to explain. Just think of it as one of the forces that reign within this magical realm.”
“One of the forces?”
“Ah. You guys don’t know about the ecosystem of the Demon Realm.”
Soon, an explanation of the ecosystem of the Demon Realm followed.
Monsters fear being hurt and respect the territory of the strong.
Because of this, areas are created centered around particularly strong monsters.
“We are one of them. I’m not bragging, but we occupy the widest area of the Demon Realm.”
“……oh my god.”
“Well, we’re not that much stronger than other forces yet. We suffered a lot of damage from subduing the previous forces.”
Among them.
One of the powerful forces that divides this magic realm into four parts.
Even within that magical realm, it is the most powerful force that occupies the widest area.
“Just now… … What is this queen, and what is this oath? Why are you being so polite to us?”
“Hmm? It seems that the master’s lord… … did not say anything.”
Lee Beom-jae nodded and explained.
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t heard much from the Queen. If what I know is fine, then so be it.”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
“As far as I know… … I heard that the Queen and the Covenant fought at least half a year ago.”
“yes?”
Fighting a queen who looks so powerful.
Not even recently, but half a year ago?
‘You’ve already fought that kind of monster back then… … ?’
But people were shocked.
Lee Beom-jae continued his explanation calmly.
“I didn’t hear the results of the battle… … but I heard that at the end of the fight, the two made a pact.”
“That oath.”
“I don’t know the exact details. All I know is that it was a covenant that was much more advantageous to the covenantee.”
At those words, people thought.
‘It was a much more advantageous oath for Youngjun… ‘
‘Does that mean Youngjun won that fight?’
no.
Even so, it doesn’t make sense that he was that strong even half a year ago.
Perhaps the queen, who coveted Shin Young-jun’s power, made an unfavorable oath in order to form an alliance with him.
“To the queen who rules over more than a quarter of this realm… … .”
“A being equal to such a queen.”
People muttered as they looked at the place where the two beings had disappeared.
“Where the hell is that… … .”
“I wonder what kind of conversation is going on… … .”
* * *
“You said this area was safe? I was attacked on my way here? Is this safe?”
“That’s not it… … !”
“What the heck!”
A moment away from people.
I started talking to Ariella alone.