RG 138

As Ryu Seonghyeon wrapped the blanket tightly around Cha Seohu, the mountain keeper, who had been watching, finally spoke. “It does look like a cold to me as well, but I think it’s worth checking. I don’t know everything about this mountain either.”

“Check… cough.”

“Is it possible to check?” Ryu Seonghyeon asked on behalf of Cha Seohu, whose throat was swollen and kept coughing. 

The mountain keeper nodded calmly and explained, “My skill is related to cold energy. I’ll use it to see if I can detect any similar energy from him.”

“I asked for your help just in case, without expecting much… but if you can confirm something, that’d be a huge relief.”

“This is actually my first time trying it, so I don’t know what the results will be yet.”

The mountain keeper approached the bed and looked down. A flushed face, red from the fever, stared back at him. The neckline exposed above the blanket was quite slender. He had looked unwell since yesterday—no wonder he’d finally fallen sick.

A physically weak Support had entered this mountain. The mountain keeper had guarded this place for a long time, but it was the first time he’d seen a Support—not a DPS—climb up the mountain.

Even the criminals who’d fled to this mountain were always DPSs.

Surely there were criminals who were Supports, too. But the fact that he’d never seen one meant that, no matter how desperate they were, they still avoided setting foot on this mountain. After all, even DPSs with stronger bodies than the average person had died here on Mount Taebaek.

If Cha Seohu hadn’t been lucky enough to run into him during yesterday’s patrol, he would’ve wandered the mountain and died before realizing how sick he was. And it wouldn’t have just been from exposure—this mountain was not normal.

‘He must know how dangerous this place is… so why did he come here?’

The mountain keeper quickly pushed aside that sudden question. What would be the point of asking that? Better to focus on checking Cha Seohu.

“I’m going to use my skill now. Don’t move and just bear with it for a moment.”

Bear with it? Cha Seohu frowned in confusion, but before he could ask, the mountain keeper activated his skill.

Ssssshhh—cold energy flowed from the mountain keeper’s body, and a sharp chill rushed in. Frost bloomed from the ground beneath his feet, and the blanket wrapped around Cha Seohu grew so cold it began to freeze.

“H-hk, huuh…!” Cha Seohu gasped harshly, face contorting as he clutched his throat. It felt like icy needles had filled his windpipe—he couldn’t breathe properly.

“Wait—” Ryu Seonghyeon, alarmed by Cha Seohu’s pain, was just about to intervene when the freezing air filling the room vanished in an instant. The frost melted just as quickly as it had formed.

“…It’s done.”

The mountain keeper quickly withdrew the energy and stepped back from Cha Seohu. Now out of the cold, Cha Seohu blinked and reached for his neck.

‘My throat…’

He could breathe again. The pain from the swelling remained, but he no longer felt like he was suffocating.

‘What… was that just now?’

As Cha Seohu sat there in confusion, the mountain keeper delivered his conclusion, “There doesn’t appear to be anything abnormal. It looks like a simple cold.”

“I see.”

“I have some cold medicine. If it’s all right with you, I’ll bring it up. I was going to make rice porridge for breakfast anyway, so if you take the medicine after eating, you should feel much better.”

“Thank you.”

They had intended to ask for medicine and food anyway, so it was a relief that the host offered first.

Ryu Seonghyeon decided to go ahead and bring up their original purpose as well. “And… if it’s all right with you, Mountain Keeper, we’d like to stay for a few more days. I’m afraid if Hunter Cha Seohu tries to move in his current condition, it could become really dangerous.”

“Well…”

The mountain keeper looked between Ryu Seonghyeon and Cha Seohu with a complicated expression. As he hesitated to respond, Ryu Seonghyeon pleaded again, “I understand this may be uncomfortable for you. We have no intention of disturbing your home or bothering you. We’ll rest quietly and leave as soon as his condition improves.”

“Hm…”

“While we’re here, I’ll help with chores. I’m an S-class DPS, so I should be pretty useful.”

Despite Ryu Seonghyeon’s continued persuasion, the mountain keeper didn’t look particularly swayed. He simply lowered his gaze and blinked.

“…”

A heavy silence settled between them. After a long pause, the mountain keeper looked at the weary Cha Seohu and let out a sigh, as if there were no other choice. “Very well. I’ll give you exactly three days.”

Ryu Seonghyeon, who had been anxiously waiting for an answer, sighed in relief and expressed his gratitude, “Thank you.”

Three days was a short time to recover, but this wasn’t the moment to complain. If the mountain keeper had told them to leave right away, they would’ve had no choice but to obey.

“You must leave on the third day. No exceptions.”

“Of course.”

After firmly reiterating his condition, the mountain keeper gave a short nod and left the room with a stern expression.

Ryu Seonghyeon waited until the footsteps had faded completely before turning to Cha Seohu. “The plan worked. It’s a shame we only got three days, but for now, this is the best we could ask for.”

“Yes… cough.”

Ryu Seonghyeon recalled the mountain keeper’s troubled expression as he weighed the request.

‘Something about his reaction felt off.’

It hadn’t just been discomfort at letting strangers stay in his home. Rather…

‘He seemed… afraid.’

Of course, it could’ve been just his imagination. What would a man who had lived in this mountain for so long have to fear? Shaking off the needless thought, Ryu Seonghyeon looked at Cha Seohu, who was still shivering from the cold even under the blanket. “We don’t have much time. You need to focus on recovery, Hunter Cha Seohu. You need to get your strength back if we’re going to survive until we get off this mountain.”

If worst came to worst, he was willing to use the emergency flare Kwon Taehyeok had given him before they came up the mountain. It would cause trouble for a lot of people, but letting Cha Seohu die wasn’t an option.

Cha Seohu quietly nodded, then pulled a notebook and pen from under his pillow. So that’s where it had gone—he must’ve hidden it so the mountain keeper wouldn’t find it.

While Ryu Seonghyeon was thinking how squirrel-like that was, Cha Seohu scribbled something quickly and held up the newly written note.

<Don’t worry about me. What matters now is the most important task ahead.>

His handwriting was neater than before, and his spelling was perfect—proof he had written this with serious intent.

<Over the next two days, we need to convince the mountain keeper no matter what. We also need to explain why we came here.>

<I don’t think I can be of much help anymore.>

Reading the second line, Ryu Seonghyeon silently agreed.

Cha Seohu could barely speak with his throat so swollen. He should’ve been prioritizing his health over everything else.

“I’ll take care of persuading the mountain keeper. It’s my responsibility in the first place.”

“…”

He had said it because he didn’t want to burden the sick Cha Seohu with guild business, but for some reason, Cha Seohu looked slightly bitter upon hearing it. Worried that he might have come off too cold, Ryu Seonghyeon quickly added with a hesitant glance, “I mean… what I’m trying to say is… I’ll make the most of the opportunity you gave me, Hunter Cha Seohu, so I hope you can focus solely on recovering.”

<Understood.>

Cha Seohu smiled, his earlier bitterness gone as if it had never been there, and handed back the notebook and pen. Then he lay down on the bed like he was collapsing. “Then, I’ll get some rest now.”

“Wait, Hunter Cha Seohu?”

The moment his head touched the pillow, Cha Seohu closed his eyes. Surprised, Ryu Seonghyeon grabbed his shoulder and called his name, but there was no response.

He hadn’t fallen asleep—he had passed out. Come to think of it, he’d seemed urgent ever since asking Ryu Seonghyeon to go get the mountain keeper. It looked like he had barely held on until his body hit its limit.

‘He’s burning up.’

The rounded shoulder under his hand radiated heat. When he touched Cha Seohu’s forehead, it felt even hotter than before.

Biting his lip, Ryu Seonghyeon pulled the blanket over him, then rushed out of the room and down the stairs. Just then, the mountain keeper, who had finished preparing the rice gruel, spotted him. “Breakfast is ready. Will you be eating now?”

“No. Can I get the medicine first?”

There was no way Cha Seohu could eat in his state, so he needed to at least force some medicine down. Without requiring an explanation, the mountain keeper seemed to understand and went to retrieve it.

He pulled out medicine from the kitchen cupboard, hesitated before speaking cautiously to Ryu Seonghyeon, “I don’t know your exact situation, so maybe it’s not my place to say anything, but…” He trailed off, then continued with a small sigh. “If you truly care for your partner, it would be best to come alone next time.”

Partner? Caught off guard by the unexpected word, Ryu Seonghyeon widened his eyes. “Pardon?”

“This mountain is not a place someone with an ordinary body can endure. I understand that you two don’t want to be separated, but it’s just too dangerous.”

“Wait, no, that’s not—”

“This medicine should be enough for the cold. It’s strong, but that means it’ll work well. I have some things to attend to, so I’ll be heading out now.”

After handing over the medicine packet, the mountain keeper quickly left as if fleeing the scene—his embarrassment clear after impulsively meddling out of concern for the sick Support.

Holding the packet of medicine in his hand, Ryu Seonghyeon blinked in a daze. Then, slowly, he realized what the mountain keeper had meant by “partner.”

Partner. A term that used to refer to a romantic relationship between a DPS and a Support—a word that had gone out of fashion long ago. Also sometimes called a pair. If the mountain keeper had used it in that context, assuming he and Cha Seohu were partners—

“Heh…”

Letting out an incredulous breath, Ryu Seonghyeon ran a hand over his face. A faint blush crept up his cheeks beneath his palm.