Chapter 312

Chapter 312

Zeon sat in a chair and looked at the woman seated across from him.

She was an elf with snow-white skin, platinum-blond hair, and pale brows that made her look like a white fairy.

If one did not know better, she appeared to be a beautiful elf in her late thirties to early forties. She was Serian Oliana, the ruler of the North District.

Serian looked at Zeon with deep, profound eyes.

She was over three hundred years old.

By human standards, she was old enough to be called an ancestor, but in the world of elves, she was only just in mature adulthood.

At a young age, she had chosen hardship in order to protect the elves who had been left in the human world. Because of that, she had become far more mature than elves of her age and had gained outstanding insight.

In her eyes, Zeon was a truly fascinating existence.

The dignity she had accumulated over three hundred years was by no means light.

Her deep eyes contained a weight and force that overwhelmed others.

Most people felt reverence just from seeing her gaze.

It did not matter whether they were young or old, ordinary people or Awakened.

But the man sitting before her was different.

He did not look intimidated, nor did he show the slightest sign of fear.

Even if he were looking not at an elf, but at an ordinary woman, it did not seem as though he would have worn such a calm expression.

The first to speak was Zeon.

“It has been a while, Lady Serian!”

“It is a pity I cannot see you often, Mr. Zeon.”

“Not seeing each other often is better.”

“Is that so?”

“There is nothing good about humans and elves meeting too often. Generally speaking......”

“Generally speaking, that is true.”

Serian wore a bitter expression.

Zeon’s words showed the relationship between humans and elves in the simplest way.

Although it had been a hundred years since the elves had mixed into human society, there still existed an enormous wall between elves and humans that could not be crossed.

Elves did not fully understand the fierce lives of humans, whose lives were short, and humans hated the elves who had made Earth like this.

The elves remaining in Neo Seoul had not directly caused Earth to become like this, but the original sin borne by the elven race did not fade.

Because Serian knew that, she tried not to make enemies of humans as much as possible. Even despite such efforts, humans and elves had not mixed at all for a hundred years.

She regretted that deeply, but she still believed that one day, a world would come where elves and humans could truly harmonize.

Serian hid her regret and opened her mouth.

“I heard you came because of Eli.”

“That is correct.”

“Haa!”

Serian sighed.

Just mentioning Eli made her head throb.

“Because of her, madmen have entered Neo Seoul and the slums.”

“I know.”

“If you know, shouldn’t you establish a countermeasure?”

“What kind of countermeasure?”

“We capture the madmen first, then hold her accountable as well.”

“It is not that simple.”

“What part of it is not simple?”

Zeon’s voice sank low.

In that instant, Serian felt goosebumps rise over her smooth skin.

It felt as though the temperature in the room had dropped along with Zeon’s voice.

She forced herself to wear a calm expression and said,

“Eli built the North District together with me for a hundred years. Many people in the North District trust her. If we touch her carelessly, the North District could split apart.”

“Then are you saying you will just leave her alone?”

“I am not saying I will neglect the matter. I am saying we must be more cautious.”

“How much more cautious are you planning to be? We have already secured evidence and witnesses.”

“That is......”

Serian hesitated.

Her expression revealed her thoughts.

‘She is hesitating.’

It was not as if he could not understand Serian’s feelings.

Although Eli had now turned her heart elsewhere, she was like Serian’s right arm.

Only after the two elves joined forces had they been able to secure this much territory for the nonhuman races in Neo Seoul.

Without Eli’s full cooperation, Serian’s rigid personality would never have been able to grow the North District to this extent.

Even now, she needed Eli.

That was why she could not decide what to do with Eli and was hesitating like this.

“I need time.”

“How much time should I give you?”

“That is......”

“Even at this moment, victims are probably appearing. For now, they may deliberately feed humans to the Gu, but once humans become insufficient, elves, beastfolk, and dwarves will also become their prey.”

“Mr. Zeon, it seems you believe there are more Gu.”

“I do.”

“Is that not too much of a leap?”

Serian cautiously raised an objection.

In that instant, Zeon rose from his seat.

He had realized that there would be no conclusion no matter how much longer he spoke with Serian.

“Mr. Zeon?”

Startled by Zeon’s sudden action, Serian called out to him. But Zeon’s attitude toward her was cold.

“From now on, I will move independently.”

“Are you saying you will act as you please in the North District?”

“Yes!”

“I cannot allow that. This is the North District. If you act carelessly, the order we worked so hard to establish will be shaken.”

“Then when will you act? Eli is already moving beneath the surface.”

“That is......”

“Even while you hesitate, countless victims will appear.”

At Zeon’s sharp condemnation, Serian bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

Then Borin, who had been silent until now, opened her mouth.

“You must decide now, Your Majesty!”

“Borin?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. I saw humans hanging like lumps of meat and becoming food for the horrifying monsters called Gu. Somewhere else in our North District, there may be another factory raising those monsters.”

“Hoo!”

“If a disaster occurs where those Gu monsters are released into Neo Seoul, our relationship with humans will rush toward the worst possible outcome. If that happens, the North District will no longer be a safe district for our race.”

At Borin’s words, Serian closed her eyes.

Zeon and Borin quietly watched Serian.

For Serian, this was literally a decision to cut off her right arm.

They had cornered her because the situation was urgent, but they still had to give her time to organize her thoughts one last time.

‘If she still cannot decide, I will move alone.’

Of course, the aftermath would by no means be light.

He might end up turning every nonhuman race living in the North District against him. Even so, he had to do it.

The monsters called Gu were like an epidemic. If left alone, they would multiply endlessly.

Provided, of course, that they were supplied with enough food.

And Neo Seoul overflowed with prey.

To the survivor of the Five Poisons Clan, perhaps this place had looked like a food warehouse for raising Gu.

No, it surely had.

That was why he must have joined hands with Eli and entered the North District.

“Hoo!”

At that moment, Serian sighed and opened her eyes.

The eyes that had been filled with confusion moments ago no longer wavered.

She said,

“Borin!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I will entrust this matter to you. Assist Mr. Zeon and subdue Eli.”

“Subdue her?”

“Yes!”

“In that case, I will need more combat power.”

“I will assign two Punishers to you.”

“Pu......nishers?”

Borin’s eyes trembled.

If Jin Geum-ho had the Numbers, the Execution Unit, then Serian had the Punishers.

They were a secret unit made up of elf and beastfolk Awakened.

They lived ordinary lives under normal circumstances, but when a crisis came to the North District, they moved. That secretive group was the Punishers.

However, they had already ceased activity and retired several decades ago.

The very fact that Serian was calling such people back was proof that she had made a great decision.

Borin lowered her head.

“Thank you for your wise decision.”

“I am sorry, Borin. For making you shoulder such a heavy burden.”

“Not at all. I am prepared to do anything for you and the North District, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you. For always believing in this lacking version of me.”

Serian held Borin’s hand and patted it.

It was the trust she was sending.

Zeon smiled.

“That worked out well. Then shall we start moving in earnest?”

“Do you mean right now?”

“The more time we give her, the firmer Eli’s preparations will become. We must move before she erases all the evidence.”

“Understood, Mr. Zeon! If you need anything, please tell Borin at any time.”

“I understand.”

Zeon nodded and began walking.

Serian silently watched his back as he grew farther away.

Her face revealed her complicated feelings exactly as they were.

As Borin followed Zeon out, she said to Serian,

“Everything will go well. Please do not worry, Your Majesty!”

“Worrying is my job, Borin! Do not mind me. Please handle this matter well.”

Serian forced herself to smile.

---

Once they came outside, Borin asked Zeon,

“What will we do now?”

“We split into two groups and move separately.”

“How?”

“You take Eli. I’ll handle the Helbrin Mercenary Corps and the Five Poisons Clan.”

“How will you find them? You don’t have any separate acquaintances in the North District, do you?”

“I may, or I may not. I have a method, so leave them to me.”

“Understood. If anything happens, contact me immediately.”

“I will.”

Zeon nodded and began walking.

Dealing with Eli was important, but the more urgent matter was dealing with the survivor of the Five Poisons Clan.

The more time he gave him, the faster the Gu would multiply.

Because Zeon knew the nature of the Five Poisons Clan better than anyone, he knew that fact better than anyone as well.

He did not know the face or name of the Five Poisons survivor.

It was a hopeless situation where he knew nothing.

Even so, Zeon was not disappointed.

That was because he had a way to find him.

Zeon took a black jewel from his subspace.

It was something he had received from Urtian, the new master of Steel Fortress.

When Urtian had been active as a Scavenger, he had used the black jewel as a means of contacting other Scavengers.

‘He said if I inject mana into it, I can find the Scavengers’ nests.’

Zeon knew well that Scavengers had created secret nests throughout Neo Seoul and the slums.

The only place Hassim’s group, who had barely escaped the sewers, could use as a hideout was a Scavenger nest.

Bzzzzzt!

When Zeon injected mana, the black jewel turned a deep blue.

Zeon brought the deep-blue black jewel before his eye.

He was using the black jewel like a lens to scan the street.

‘He said I would be able to see the mark of a nest this way.’

Zeon walked through the North District and carefully examined every corner with the jewel.

The world seen through the jewel was entirely blue.

It felt as if he were wearing blue glasses.

After walking for quite some time with the black jewel held to his eye, Zeon stopped before a shadowy alley.

“Here.”

At the deepest part of the dark alley, a picture like a bird’s nest was drawn above the door of a house.

When he lowered the black jewel, the picture could no longer be seen.

It was a picture that could only be seen through the black jewel infused with mana.

It was definitely a Scavenger nest.

CRASH—!

When Zeon broke down the door and entered, he saw people springing up in surprise.

They were Scavengers who had been resting.

“What the hell?”

“Who are you?”

The Scavengers glared at the unfamiliar intruder with vicious eyes.

Zeon looked around the inside of the nest and said,

“I can start here.”