Hyperborea was a continent located in the sea beyond the Northern Continent.
Because it was smaller than other continents, some people called it an island, but that distinction wasn’t particularly important.
Towering walls of sheer ice cliffs rose like a colossal rampart, forming a breathtaking sight. With an ice wall standing between sky and sea, the blues of both seemed to merge together, as if erasing the boundary of the world itself.
‘Someone who didn’t know any better might think this is just the Arctic, but there’s a sense of vitality in that harsh land.’
The ship circled along the island’s outer edge.
As the cliffs gradually became gentler, a makeshift harbor suitable for docking came into view.
Several ships were already moored there, and people could be seen moving busily, unloading cargo.
Mages, mercenaries, archaeologists, adventurers, and merchants drawn by the scent of money were all mixed together in one chaotic mass.
Even though rumors about the New Continent hadn’t fully spread yet, hundreds—no, thousands—of people had already arrived.
‘In a few more days, that number will multiply dozens of times.’
When that happened, the continent called Hyperborea would be filled with all kinds of chaos.
And inevitably, there would be those who tried to reveal their own ambitions amid that disorder.
‘So we need to finish this as quickly as possible, before that happens.’
Casey was thinking much the same.
“It’s absolutely packed with people. This is almost overflowing. I wonder if things will really be okay.”
“It’s an unexplored, unknown continent. You never know what kind of incident might happen.”
In truth, that was the biggest problem.
The people gathered here weren’t part of any organization cooperating with one another.
They were moths drawn to a single flame, all here to satisfy their own greed.
For now, they were mingling together while building a makeshift base, but in reality, they all viewed one another as competitors.
In fact, if you looked closely, you could see people casting guarded, sidelong glances at others.
When the Selmore family ship docked in an empty spot, the people moving cargo turned to look their way.
Unlike the other ships, it was more refined and clearly more expensive—naturally, it drew attention.
And if only four people disembarked from it, a number too small to even call a group, that only made it stand out even more.
Ignoring the murmuring around them, Hans stretched his stiff body with a groan.
“Ooof. Staying on a ship too long really is torture.”
“You weren’t even on it that long. Stop exaggerating.”
It wasn’t just any ship—it was a Selmore family ship. And Casey herself had been on board.
Normally, even at the fastest pace, a ship departing from port would take at least two days to reach Hyperborea.
But Ludger and Hans had arrived in less than half a day.
It was all thanks to Casey.
By moving the seawater in real time, she had allowed the ship to cross the ocean at several times its normal speed.
What was even more remarkable was that, despite moving that fast, there hadn’t been any shaking at all.
Even Hans, who usually couldn’t stand being on a ship for long, had thought it was tolerable at this level.
“So, we’ve arrived. What’s the plan now?”
Casey asked, glancing at the bustling crowd.
Arriving at Hyperborea was one thing, but now they were essentially just standing at the starting line.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that.”
The one who answered instead was Veronica.
“Imperial agents went ahead and are waiting for us. We just need to rendezvous with them.”
“Do you know where they are?”
“They left a marker. They said they’d be staying at an inn with an eagle emblem.”
Saying she would guide them, Veronica confidently took the lead.
The makeshift forward base was quite sizable, considering how hastily it had been built.
The buildings, made by combining wood and stone, weren’t just practical—they also possessed a certain aesthetic appeal.
They had clearly been constructed by mages, and the depth of magical expertise was evident in the results.
People’s eyes were filled with yearning. Or perhaps greed.
Whatever it was, they burned fiercely. Despite being in the frigid environment of the far north, the air itself felt heated.
Naturally, there were problems that came with that.
“Hey, you bastards! This is our territory!”
“You wanna die, assholes?!”
“What are you staring at?!”
They were people who already dealt in dangerous work, and they’d become especially sensitive over relics.
It meant they were in a state where they could explode at the slightest provocation.
‘It’s like a swarm of hedgehogs with their spines fully raised.’
They reacted sharply to even the smallest prick—whether it was intentional or not. That was just the atmosphere here.
As a result, fights broke out everywhere.
Once a fight started, it didn’t end until one side was covered in blood. In severe cases, lives were even at risk.
And yet, even when someone died, no one pointed it out or showed concern.
If anything, they felt relieved inside, thinking that a competitor had been eliminated.
‘This place is outside the reach of any nation’s system—a lawless zone. Even the Empire can’t do anything here in Hyperborea.’
That’s right. They were essentially dropped into a wild forest, with no protection from anyone.
Naturally, there were plenty who hunted not only for relics, but also targeted those who looked weak as prey.
“Hey. Miss over there. Are the rest your companions?”
A man with an eyepatch over one eye and yellowed teeth leered as he blocked Veronica’s path.
Crack!
Without answering, Veronica kicked his leg out from under him.
His leg bent in a direction it was never meant to bend, and the man screamed.
Veronica immediately grabbed him by the neck and hurled him far down an alley.
“Mm. This way! Let’s go!”
She even said that with a bright, refreshing smile.
It was hard to believe she’d just incapacitated someone in an instant.
The man’s companions felt a chill run down their spines at the sight, quickly grabbed their fallen comrade, and fled.
“Whew. Hey there, blue-haired miss. What brings you to a place like this? Oh, are you here looking for work? How about it—I’ll pay you well.”
This time, a man made a pass at Casey.
Casey turned to him and smiled softly.
She didn’t smile often, but she was a striking beauty. When she smiled, a fresh, clean scent spread through the air, like a clear spring flowing nearby.
It wasn’t an illusion.
A massive spring of water formed out of empty air and swallowed the man who had spoken to her.
Fwoooosh!
The huge torrent lifted him high into the air and flung him far out toward the open sea.
“Crazy...”
The people watching gaped, mouths hanging open.
Magic had been manifested in empty space—without incantation, without a formation, without any magical tool.
As Casey began to walk, people instinctively cleared a path for her.
After Veronica and Casey demonstrated a few such examples, no one dared bother them anymore.
Hans and Ludger followed silently behind the two women.
There was no need for them to step in—everything was proceeding smoothly on its own, making things almost comfortable.
“Mm. There it is!”
Veronica finally spotted a tavern. Just as she’d said, it bore an eagle emblem.
When they opened the door and stepped inside, they saw people drinking even though it was still daytime.
Their alcohol-blurred gazes turned toward Veronica.
It looked like more trouble might arise, but this time Veronica didn’t want that, so she revealed her true power.
“Could you step outside for a moment? I have some business to take care of.”
The moment she finished speaking, a cold wave swept through the area.
An aura of freezing cold erupted from her entire body, washing over the tavern interior.
The people touched by that chill sobered up instantly.
Without anyone needing to prompt them, they all jumped to their feet and rushed out of the tavern.
The only one left was the owner, who had been wiping a glass.
“I’m looking for someone.”
Veronica spoke to the owner. He looked startled at first, then quickly regained his composure.
“Alright. Who are you looking for? Finding someone here won’t be easy—there are so many people coming and going.”
“About five people. All men, wearing dark gray hoods. And they’re carrying items marked with an eagle emblem.”
That was enough for the owner to understand.
“What, Imperial people?”
“Judging by your reaction, you know them?”
“Of course I do. Hmm. You’re a bit late, though. They left here this morning.”
“They left?”
Veronica frowned. The field agents should have prioritized rendezvousing with them before moving.
“I don’t know why. But judging by how hurried they were, something urgent must’ve come up. That’s all I know. I thought they might come back before nightfall, but from how things looked, probably not.”
“I see. Thank you for answering.”
Veronica took out some bills and handed them to the owner.
He accepted them naturally.
“If you head straight north, you should find them. I mean, there’s really nowhere else to go anyway—but if you hurry, you might still catch up.”
Perhaps ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) because of the money, the owner added that explanation kindly.
Returning to the group, Veronica said,
“Something seems to have happened.”
“If the agents moved first, then there must have been a reason.”
Field agents who should have waited to rendezvous had moved on their own.
And since they’d moved in a hurry, there had to be a reason worthy of that urgency.
“We should move quickly. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
The group immediately left the tavern and headed toward the northern exit the owner had mentioned.
Other explorers seemed to be heading the same way. Carriages, automobiles, and steam trucks of all kinds raced along the unpaved road.
Half-melted ice mixed with mud, leaving tire tracks pressed into the soggy ground.
Occasionally, puddles splashed outward, spraying filthy water.
“Ugh. That smell is brutal.”
Hans pinched his nose and shook his head.
With his especially sharp sense of smell, this environment was particularly unpleasant for him.
“You used to handle this kind of thing just fine.”
“Oh, come on, boss. It’s been three years since I left this kind of fieldwork. I’ve got some seniority now—why would I be running around places like this on my own two feet?”
“That just sounds like you’ve lost your edge.”
“It’s not that bad. It’s just... getting back into this kind of active duty again doesn’t sit right with me yet.”
Hans grumbled, but even as he did, his eyes moved sharply, scanning as if searching for something.
After walking along the road and leaving the forward base behind, Hans suddenly stopped.
Veronica and Casey turned back to look at him.
They knew how unusual Hans was, so they didn’t question his behavior.
After a moment of checking something, Hans lifted his head.
Above them, an eagle was gliding through the sky, wings spread wide.
Ludger asked,
“Hans. Did you find them?”
“Five people. All male. And you said they were wearing gray robes?”
Hans asked Veronica to confirm.
She nodded.
“Yes. That’s right. Did you find them?”
“I did. But... hmm. This is something we’ll have to see in person to be sure.”
“Is it close from here?”
“It’s not far.”
Hans gestured and led them onward.
After crossing several ridges overgrown with yellowed, half-wet weeds, they saw a group of people ahead.
They were the Imperial agents Hans had found.
The moment she saw them, Veronica’s expression hardened.
All of the agents were cold, lifeless corpses.
“...They’re dead.”
Casey murmured as she looked at the five bodies.
She immediately examined their condition.
Their skin was cold. It seemed they had been dead for quite some time.
“I was hoping I was mistaken, but it looks like they were caught up in something bad.”
Hans muttered bitterly. Having found the bodies through the eyes of an eagle, his voice carried a trace of heaviness.
Ludger joined Casey in examining the corpses.
It seemed they had been attacked almost immediately after leaving the forward base.
There were traces of a fight nearby, but the damage wasn’t extensive.
“They were taken out with a swift, precise ambush.”
The bodies looked intact on the outside, but when their clothes were lifted, their skin underneath was red or bluish.
Their insides had been completely pulverized.
An attack that shook the interior through external force.
“Even in a lawless zone like this, Imperial agents wouldn’t recklessly make enemies.”
Casey picked up on Ludger’s words.
“It seems there are people who know about our presence—and are trying to interfere.”