Vol 4 Chapter 35

The only thing that barely piqued the interest of adventurer users was the Kizar mountain range, the continent's largest snowy mountain range, standing like a folding screen above the city. Because of this, most people couldn't understand why Kizalkirstum was chosen as a major city along with the others.

The general interpretation was that Kizalkirstum became a major city simply because it had a vast land and there were warp gates everywhere else, so they placed one in a suitable location in the north to make it convenient for users to move around. This showed just how insignificant the city was. Kapros had also thought this way until now, but Un-o said something that simply overturned that notion.

"Kizalkirstum is the continent's best black market. It's the only place where it doesn't matter whether you pay with real money or gold."

"What? That place was like that?"

As Kran asked back with wide eyes in surprise, Un-o nodded nonchalantly.

"Most of the well-known people who make a living from real money transactions have set up shop there, so naturally, customers flock there too. It's not very noticeable, but it's a city with convenient transportation due to the warp portal. It's also easy to escape to other places quickly through the warp if necessary."

"Huh..."

Unlike Kran, who was dumbfounded, Kapros felt quite interested in Un-o's explanation.

"Then they must mainly sell rare, hard-to-find items there."

"That's right."

Un-o nodded in agreement.

'Interesting. If I get the chance, I'd like to go and take a look around at least once.'

At that moment, Kran called out to Kapros with a slightly cautious attitude.

"Um, Kap."

"...?"

As Kapros looked at him in response to the call, Kran was scratching his head with a slightly furrowed brow.

"Well... So... Um..."

"What."

As Kran kept hesitating, Kapros asked shortly, and Kran stepped back, laughing nervously as if startled.

"Ah... It's nothing. How far are we from Kizalkirstum now?"

"I believe you asked that a few hours ago too..."

"Huh? Did I?"

In fact, this wasn't the first time Kran had acted like this. The hesitation that had started from Bistale, where he had come back to life, had been continuing incessantly until now when they were almost at Kizalkirstum. Thinking about it carefully, this phenomenon seemed to have appeared since Kran had called Kapros in reality. He remembered that Kran had shown similar hesitation briefly before hanging up when he called after his death.

He hadn't thought it was strange at the time, but the problem was that this had continued even after Kran's return. Kapros sighed softly as he looked at Kran's face, which clearly had hesitation hidden beneath its bright appearance.

'I don't know what you want to say... but is it that difficult?'

Although he didn't know what could make someone as honest as Kran hesitate so much, Kapros was thinking of waiting like this until Kran was ready to speak. However, without properly noticing that not only Kran but also Un-o had been speaking more than usual lately but saying almost nothing except in response to questions, they passed through the gates of Kizalkirstum, the winter city.

The first impression of Kizalkirstum was that it was extremely chilly.

Despite being the largest city they had passed through so far, it couldn't have been more desolate and barren. Feeling a chill down his back, Kapros pulled his hood down tightly and walked a few more steps inside the city gate when he suddenly noticed that Un-o and Kran weren't following beside him. He turned around.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask why, it happened.

"Um... Kap. There's something I've wanted to say for a while..."

"Hyung. I'm sorry, but I have something I want to say."

The words burst out almost simultaneously from both of them, leaving Kapros a bit bewildered and blinking. Kran and Un-o also looked at each other, seemingly surprised by each other's words. For a moment, a chilly wind swirled in the space between them. Feeling that wind, Kapros composed himself briefly and nodded, opening his mouth.

"...Okay."

He felt that the inevitable had come.

As if Kran and Un-o, who were facing each other, had tacitly agreed for Kran to speak first, he opened his mouth with an unusually serious expression.

"I'm sorry for only saying this now. I think... it would be better if I only go this far with you."

"Kran...?"

Kapros looked at Kran, at a loss for words. After a long while, when he finally turned his stiff eyes away, Un-o, who was next in line, exhaled softly and continued.

"I'm sorry. After thinking about it, I've also concluded that it would be better to part ways here."

In a way, these were words that could have been fully anticipated. Even Kapros had thought that after the fight with Caesar, he should focus solely on clearing quests without paying attention to anything else, so how must the others have felt?

The sense of helplessness, self-reproach, and frustration at being weak that they felt towards themselves that day was several times stronger than any similar feelings they had experienced before. However, on the other hand, it was undeniable that they also wanted to continue feeling the comfort of walking together with someone as they had been doing.

Kapros looked at them alternately, lowering his eyes to avoid showing his agitation. Both Kran and Un-o had straight eyes that fully revealed their thoughts and will, with hardened expressions.

"It's because of that fight, isn't it?"

Finally, Kapros opened his mouth, swallowing the chill rising deep in his chest. No matter what anyone said, he was the one who understood their words best right now. As his agitation subsided, he also thought that what they had said might have been what he would have said himself.

His current position was no different from theirs. It was just that because the current destination was his quest site, he could indulge in the desire to stay together a little longer. If the destination had been somewhere else, he would have left without hesitation and wouldn't have hesitated for days like Kran. In that sense, Kran was certainly more sentimental.

"Kap. Actually, I contacted Ju-yeol hyung during those three days."