The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 61. Princess Knight (2)

Seol Jihoo watched the procession of hundreds of beasts crossing the barren field, trailing wisps of dust in their wake.
“Ho there!”
Ian waved his hand and called out, and someone in the distance raised their hand in reply.
The cavalry that had been thundering across the earth began to slow their charge.
Among all the animals, one beast boasting an uncommonly massive frame was heading directly toward the expedition’s position.
Moments later, the creature came to a halt before Ian.
As the rider pulled hard on the reins, the beast pranced and reared up on its hind legs with a snort.
“I didn’t expect you to arrive before us, Ian.”
The voice was bright yet refined, carrying an air of nobility.
Ian responded with a slight bow and smiled.
“How could a gentleman arrive late to an invitation from Princess Teresa Hatse?”
“That’s kind of you to say. I was rather worried you might ignore the summons.”
Teresa laughed softly and turned her slender chin toward the gathered forces, calling out,
“We rest here briefly! All personnel not assigned to enter Aden Gorge are to prepare to return to Haramag with the carriages and horses!”
The camp erupted into activity at once.
Ian stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Is there not a path leading to the fortress? It would be swifter on horseback.”
“Communication with the checkpoint that guards that approach has been cut off.”
Teresa answered with precision and dismounted from her beast with fluid grace.
As her feet touched the ground, metal rang out sharply.
“Which means—”
“Obviously. The checkpoint has likely been overrun, and there could be an ambush waiting. Better to climb Twilight Peak first and scout the situation than risk it. Unnecessary danger gains us nothing.”
Ian nodded in understanding.
As Teresa surveyed the area with weary eyes, her gaze fell upon the quiet Carpe Diem team, and she smiled knowingly.
“It’s been a while. Dylan, Cho Hong, Hugo.”
Dylan bowed deeply, and Hugo raised his hand in acknowledgment.
Cho Hong let cold air shimmer around her and refused to meet her eyes.
Teresa regarded with unconcerned indifference the young man who stood vacant-eyed, staring at her.
“…And who is this?”
“An Earthian who emerged from the Neutral Zone in March. A colleague who participated in the reconnaissance mission to the Forest of Negation.”
“Ah… you’re saying this year? Level 1 then, yes?”
Dylan cast a subtle glance back at Seol Jihoo.
He said nothing.
His face was simply blank, his gaze fixed and unwavering.
Upon the fair-skinned, beautiful woman whose back caught the sunlight.
A breeze suddenly rose.
Without a helmet, the wave-like cascade of hair flowing across Teresa’s bare shoulders rippled in the wind.
Hair the color of pale rose gold, shot through with reddish-blond luminescence, stirred and floated.
As clear and brilliant as spun gold, it caught the light, and when his eyes met hers—those fathomless, violet-hued orbs like a Pink Star jewel set in flesh—Seol Jihoo suddenly came to himself.
Her light armor of white and silver caught the sunlight and reflected it so brilliantly he could barely keep his eyes open.
Seol Jihoo pressed a hand to his chest.
Thump-thump. His heart pounded against his ribs.
‘Why? Why?’
He couldn’t hide his confusion.
Ever since laying eyes on her, he’d been gripped by a peculiar emotion.
It wasn’t a violent upheaval, but rather an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
…Yes, exactly like….
“Oh! Let’s sit and talk. I haven’t slept in two days and… ugh, my backside is killing me.”
Teresa suddenly snapped her gaze away and twisted her hips as though limbering her lower back.
She soon spotted a suitably sized boulder nearby and strode toward it, settling herself astride it with ease.
She then gestured for them all to sit as well.
Ian opened his mouth to speak.
“Leading only elite forces and moving swiftly is certainly commendable, but the Parasites have always exceeded our expectations. If this is a communication disruption due to signal interference, we should act with urgency—but you must also consider the possibility that the fortress has fallen.”
“I know. That’s precisely why we’re climbing Twilight Peak first to assess the situation.”
“I concur with that approach. But should the latter scenario prove true, what then?”
“If it’s already fallen, then… Hell, even thinking about it makes my skin crawl. Cough, cough! Damn.
Hack, spit.
Teresa’s lovely eyes suddenly narrowed, and she spat sharply before taking a long gulp from her water bottle.
“Oh, forgive me. My throat’s been bothering me ever since we arrived covered in sand dust.”
She smiled thinly, a hand held before her mouth.
The others seemed unbothered, but Seol Jihoo wore the expression of a man who’d just experienced culture shock.
‘What in the world.’
Her bearing was like some legendary noble knight, yet her conduct was pure back-alley ruffian.
‘So this is what he meant.’
Recalling Ian’s words, Seol Jihoo forced himself to understand.
Still, watching Maria and Cho Hong, he couldn’t exactly fault him.
“What can we do? We have to return. But I believe the likelihood of the Aden Fortress having fallen is low. It’s a naturally fortified position. With proper use of the terrain, a single skilled warrior could hold it against double their number.”
“It’s not even finished yet.”
“It’s nearly complete, actually.”
As Cho Hong spoke coldly, Teresa shot back with quick wit.
Then she narrowed her eyes, arms crossed.
“That said, it’s truly strange. We posted scouts everywhere, yet somehow they managed an ambush….”
“I have something to report regarding that matter.”
Ian delivered his findings from the Forest of Negation reconnaissance swiftly and with composure.
At his mention of encountering Lyoner packs, Teresa’s eyes sharpened.
“That can’t be right. How would those creatures leave their territory in the far mountain range?”
“In my assessment, they must have been driven out.”
“Driven out?”
Teresa let out a small exclamation.
“You could be right. The Parasites detected our scouts, moved through the adjacent range, and the Lyoners, sensing danger, descended into the Forest of Negation… Damn it, I should have ordered the reconnaissance earlier.”
“And….”
Ian briefly reported on the complete annihilation of both Samuel’s team and Khan’s team.
Teresa gripped her face with genuine distress.
“Damn it all. Vernessa’s already gone, and now Khan’s team, then Samuel’s team completely wiped out… at a time when we need every Upper Rank member….”
“I understand your feelings, but the situation is urgent. The garrison at the Aden Fortress may be fighting for their lives right now with nothing but the kingdom’s rescue to depend on.”
Teresa nodded silently.
She wiped her cheeks with a soft groan, then looked toward Dylan.
Their halt was partly for rest, but there was a more pressing reason.
“Sigh… How are you planning to handle this, Dylan?”
Dylan waited quietly for her to continue.
“I know you’re exhausted from the Forest of Negation reconnaissance. But if a skilled archer and seasoned warrior like yourselves lend support, it would ease my mind considerably.”
She made her pitch with subtle flattery.
Yet Dylan spoke bluntly.
“How many Earthians responded to the recruitment?”
“…Not quite a hundred.”
“You don’t know the exact number?”
“Sixty-eight. Twelve at Level 4, fifty-six at Level 3. There’s only one mage—Ian—and four priests.”
“Far too few.”
When Dylan showed signs of difficulty, Teresa shut her eyes tight.
Cho Hong let out a derisive snort.
“Of course it’s few. Isn’t this your own doing?”
“My own doing?”
At Teresa’s protest, Cho Hong, who’d been bristling, struck back sarcastically.
“Exactly. If you pushed through on your own initiative, you should’ve had the confidence to take responsibility for it yourself. Rumor has it no one responded to your conscription order at all, doesn’t it?”
“I find that disappointing, if that’s truly what you believe.”
As if to say ‘how could you speak that way,’ Teresa countered.
“How many times do I have to say it before you understand? This was genuinely necessary. Once it’s complete, we’ll have a fortress that straddles the mountain range itself.”
“It’s maddening. That’s exactly why the Parasites won’t let it stand. Look at this—they attacked immediately. Why did you have to provoke them?”
“That’s not entirely bad either.”
Teresa cut through the argument.
“What?”
“We can at least help indirectly this way.”
“Help whom?”
“Who else? The Federation, of course.”
Cho Hong’s expression became one of utter disbelief.
“I can’t even bring myself to call you a blockhead. You do know the Federation’s leadership are the subspecies that invaded Paradise, right?”
“Why wouldn’t I know? We’ve fought several times already.”
Teresa continued speaking with natural ease.
“The war between the Federation and the Parasites has been intensifying lately.”
“I’m aware.”
“I admit it was my oversight not to anticipate that the Parasites would come through the treacherous mountain range beside us. But by building the fortress, we’ve managed to draw their attention regardless. They’ve even attacked us directly.”
“You’re trying to divide their focus?”
“Exactly. By doing this, the Federation, which is currently engaged in total war with the Parasites, can shoulder less of the burden. It’s only like pouring a cup or two of water on a bonfire, but still.”
“Well, well. It seems you’re getting comfortable these days? Now you’re even worrying about the Federation.”
“That’s not quite the right way to think about it.”
Ian, who had been listening quietly to the two women’s debate, spoke up carefully.
“I don’t know what you all think, but I agree with the Princess.”
Ian stroked his graying beard as he continued.
“The Demihuman Alliance, once the second-strongest power, eventually fell to the Parasites’ offensive and was destroyed. We stood by and watched, and in the end, only a remnant of the Demihumans survived and were absorbed into the Federation, compared to their former glory.”
“As a result, the frontlines we have to defend expanded twofold. The Parasite legions that parasitized the corpses of the Demihumans became even stronger.”
Teresa twisted a lock of her glossy hair around her index finger as she sighed softly.
Ian’s expression was equally bitter.
“You all know about the recent integration of the Cave Fairies with the Federation. To be more precise, they joined the Federation that the Sky Fairies had already established.”
He vaguely recalled overhearing a conversation about this with Dylan.
“The point is, even though they sprang from the same root, powers that had been at odds for centuries came together. Think about how desperate and urgent the situation must have been for the Federation to reach that point.”
Seol Jihoo, listening intently, nodded quietly.
Mutually dependent survival.
Humanity and the Federation now seemed to stand on that knife’s edge.
‘He has a point.’
It was a simple matter.
If they watched the two sides fight while sitting on their hands, and the Federation fell—
“Listen. If the Royal House were truly willful, they would have attempted a direct advance into Parasite territory. That would be more certain. But they haven’t, have they? They’re merely building a single fortress. Once it’s completed, we’ll have one solid defensive structure.”
Teresa spoke with an earnestness she hadn’t shown before.
Cho Hong turned her gaze away with a grunt, but closed her mouth as if she couldn’t think of anything to say.
“So help us out. You know how it is—even though I’m Upper Rank, the Earthians tend to ignore the Royal House’s directives.”
“…….”
“Dylan is Upper Rank and a famous Carpe Diem team leader, so I think you can control them well enough.”
“I have to think about my team as well. We’ve only just managed to return to Haramag… and more than that, this friend here is still Level 1.”
Dylan pointed to Seol Jihoo, and Teresa shook her head firmly.
“I’m not so shameless and unscrupulous as all that. I’ll send him back with the carriage and horse.”
“Hmm.”
“Dylan~ you gain experience from combat, merit points from war, and compensation from the Royal House. It’s a win-win situation—why hesitate? Besides, have we ever been stingy with rewards?”
Teresa folded her thumb, index finger, and middle finger in quick succession as she spoke.
When Dylan still showed no sign of budging, she exhaled a long breath and tilted her chin upward.
It was a bit odd, but Seol Jihoo found himself thinking how lovely and pale her slender neck was, like that of a young doe.
A moment later, Teresa spoke again, her voice listless.
“…All right. I won’t make unreasonable demands. I promise. I won’t tell you to fight recklessly—just provide an escort for Ian at minimum.”
“That much is possible.”
At last, Dylan consented.
As if he had been waiting for those words.
Hugo’s mouth hung open slightly, and while Cho Hong looked displeased, she said nothing—apparently their positions had been aligned beforehand.
“Thank you.”
Teresa expressed her gratitude in a quiet voice as if relieved, then rose to her feet without much energy.
“I’ll depart in five minutes. I’d like to give you more rest, but the road ahead is urgent. I appreciate your understanding.”
Then she turned to leave.
As Seol Jihoo watched her departing figure grow distant, he activated the Nine Eyes.
“Seol. Now that things have come to this, I’d like to ask you for one important favor.”
Dylan suddenly interjected.
“A favor?”
“Yeah. Once you get back to Haramag, I’d appreciate it if you’d safely store our gear for us. Until we return.”
Ian bared his teeth slightly.
It was a clear act of consideration, but Seol Jihoo turned to look back again.
“Seol?”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Nope.”
Dylan refused flatly.
“If it’s truly a matter of loyalty or debt, I’d say you’ve already given enough. You’re Level 1. There’s no need to throw yourself into a war that’s not yours yet.”
“Would it get in the way if I came along?”
The question caught him off guard.
Dylan waved his hand dismissively.
“Not at all. You held your own against a female Lyoner that outclasses a Level 4 warrior. Setting aside raw power, that kind of nerve will be useful no matter what happens.”
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“Look at this guy. Hey, are you serious about that?”
At Cho Hong’s words, Seol Jihoo nodded.
“It’s a war I’ll have to face someday whether I like it or not. I thought it might not be bad to see it firsthand here.”
Of course, that was only the surface reason.
Seol Jihoo had a different motive for joining the war.
Teresa Hatse—the pull he’d felt from their first meeting had been overwhelming.
He wanted to know why.
He had the strange feeling that if he let this moment slip away, there would be no second chance to cross paths with her.
In other words, he was following his instincts.
“Hmm… if that’s what you’ve decided, I won’t stop you. I’ll just add one more to the protection detail.”
“You shouldn’t be doing this already.”
Dylan shrugged as he spoke, and Cho Hong pressed her forehead, as if to say do as you please.
“Thank you for the protection, but do I need to offer compensation as well?”
“Of course not. I haven’t even paid back the change yet.”
Dylan chuckled.
In any case, this young man was an Earthian who had saved their lives more than once in the Forest of Negation.
For some reason, he inspired a peculiar sense of anticipation.
“This is exactly why I like you, Seol!”
Hugo came rushing at him.
Pushing back the bald-headed black man with stubborn force, Seol Jihoo found his gaze drifting back to Teresa, now distant.
The color that Nine Eyes revealed to him was colorless.

The expedition, having joined the support forces led by Teresa Hatse, soon entered the Aden Gorge.
As expected, the path toward Twilight Peak was thick with boulders and stones, making the climb grueling beyond measure.
Add to that a forced march, and casualties from stragglers began to mount.
Since they couldn’t abandon the priests, the warriors took turns carrying them as they pressed forward.
By then the sun was sinking low, and twilight cast jagged shadows across the ridge.
Even as Ian was being carried on Hugo’s back, he continued to stroke the Communication Crystal, steadily attempting to reach the fortress.
Communication Crystals had once been a vital tool for transmitting information quickly.
That was before the Parasite Queen developed the ability to emit a Communication Jamming Wave.
Everything about their tactics changed after that.
In the early days, they’d pushed forward with overwhelming numbers in brute force; lately, they preferred to emit the Communication Jamming Wave first, then strike with sudden ambushes.
It drove the human alliance to distraction, yet it was nearly impossible not to use it.
The closer the two crystals came to each other, the more the strength and duration of the transmitted mana was preserved, creating a possibility of breaking through the signal.
That was why Ian never stopped trying to communicate.
If the fortress hadn’t fallen yet, the closer they got, the greater the chance of connection.
Crack—pop!
Ian, whose eyes had been fixed anxiously on the crystal, suddenly widened them.
A discharge phenomenon.
“It works! It’s working!”
Ian cried out.
The shout was startling enough to make Seol Jihoo, who’d been climbing breathlessly, jump.
“Then our support won’t be wasted. At least we’re not walking into the worst possible situation!”
Saying so, Ian poured more mana into the crystal.
Soon a jumble of static and overlapping noise poured through.
Dylan opened his mouth.
“Ian, should I tell the princess to halt the march?”
“No, we’re good. Let’s try while we move.”
Ian leaned his face closer to the crystal.
“Can you hear me? This is Ian, a mage of the Haramag Royal House.”
– Ian?
Crackle, crackle-crackle.
The interference wave hadn’t been completely pierced; noise still flooded the channel, but the urgent voice came through unmistakably clear.
Even a note of desperation could be heard in it.
– Wait, you’re saying you’ve already come…?!
“The moment we learned contact with Aden Fortress had been severed, I immediately mustered every Earthian and selected elite forces for immediate dispatch. We’re heading toward Aden Fortress now.”
– But the jamming signal—!
To the voice of disbelief, Ian continued his explanation methodically.
“We’ve already entered Aden Gorge this afternoon.”
– Is it true? Truly, the Royal House of Haramag knows of this situation and has dispatched relief forces? So quickly?
“That’s right. Princess Teresa Hatse is leading the forces personally.”
– The princess herself!
In that instant, a tremendous roar erupted.
It was no mere cheer from one or two voices—a chorus swelled across the lines.
Even tearful voices mixed among the jubilant cries.
Bang-bang—the sound of something detonating here and there, punctuated by grotesque shrieks, came as well.
“How is the situation?”
– We’re holding on desperately, but we’re overwhelmed! The defensive line is on the verge of collapse!
“Just a little longer, just a bit more—hold firm. We’ll reach Twilight Peak shortly. After that, Aden Fortress is just a short distance.”
– Understood! Thank you! I beg you—hurry, come as quickly as you possibly can!
He cried out in voice trembling with emotion.
The moment the confirmation came that the Royal House had not abandoned Aden Fortress, morale surged among those who had fought with their backs against the wall.
“Can you tell us anything about the enemy’s forces?”
– Understood. The invading Parasites’…!
Fzzt-crack!
A discharge phenomenon flared again, and the light cut out abruptly.
Ian clicked his tongue, but immediately channeled magic into the crystal once more and shouted.
“Dylan! Go and inform the princess of this situation!”
Dylan bolted forward as if taking flight.
Seol Jihoo swallowed hard.
War—experienced for the first time.
During the march, he’d only wished to arrive quickly despite the exhaustion, but hearing the transmission, sudden tension flooded through him.
How fierce was the battle those people were waging right now?
Seol Jihoo’s eyes lifted upward.
Twilight Peak was nearly upon them.

(To be continued in the next episode)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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