Episode 75: Mirage (1)
“Excuse me, guests.”
A staff member skillfully maneuvered a cart stacked high with luggage through the hallway.
“This is unexpected,” Sihyeon muttered, looking up at the glittering crystal chandelier.
They were currently standing in the lobby of a luxury hotel right in the heart of the city.
“Why? Did you think we’d be heading to some remote mountain village?”
“Yes. At the very least, a hotel never crossed my mind.”
Since he had heard there was a risk of fire breaking out during hibernation, he had imagined somewhere out in the vast ocean or a deserted island. If it were an island with nothing on it, burning the whole place down wouldn’t be much of a problem. He had even packed motion sickness medication just in case.
Listening to Sihyeon’s rambling explanation, Hwaryeong curled the corner of her mouth upward. It was an expression that didn’t quite fit her youthful, girlish face, yet it suited her strangely well.
“An island actually was among the candidate sites.”
Hwaryeong was gazing at a still-life painting hanging directly ahead. It depicted a cyan vase and a few seemingly half-rotten apples rolling around—definitely not to Sihyeon's taste. Hwaryeong appeared to feel the same way, shaking her head as she averted her eyes.
“Ever since a certain witless fool set a fire a long time ago, everyone has been careful, so you can rest easy.”
As Hwaryeong began to walk, a middle-aged man standing in the lobby quickly approached. Dressed in a black suit, the man moved with elegant gestures as he walked ahead to guide the two of them.
“This way, please.”
Even though she looked like a high school student at best, dressed in a neat black dress, white socks, and sneakers, the employee wearing a gold name tag treated her with the utmost reverence. It seemed they were already acquainted.
“I’ve been using this hotel frequently since a very long time ago.”
Following the guide, they arrived at an elevator located behind the business lounge. Strangely, there were only two buttons to press for the floors. One was labeled ‘L’, and the other was labeled ‘S’.
“What does 'S' stand for?”
“Did they call it the Summit? Or the Sky Lounge? What was it again, Manager?”
“It is the Summit Floor, Lady Hwaryeong.”
“Right. That.”
She turned her crimson eyes and gave a slight nod.
“It's a meaningless letter. You can't really call it a summit anyway.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll understand once you look down.”
The elevator made a slightly unusual sound. Sihyeon looked around at the unfamiliar noise and happened to lock eyes with the manager, who naturally averted his gaze as if it were no big deal.
Ding.
“We have arrived.”
Accompanied by a small vibration, the doors slid open, and the sound of chirping birds drifted in through a blindingly intense light.
Wait, didn't we just take an elevator from a luxury hotel lobby?
“?”
“Let’s get off.”
Baffled, Sihyeon scanned his surroundings before following Hwaryeong out of the elevator.
“Have a wonderful day, guests.”
The manager smiled and bowed deeply from the waist until the doors closed completely.
“Um, Lady Hwaryeong?”
“What.”
“Why is an elevator standing in the middle of a grassy field?”
“Follow me.”
Sihyeon hurriedly moved his feet to keep up with Hwaryeong. The vast, sprawling lawn seemed to have no end, and a gentle ridge could be seen in the distance. The soil and the lush grass beneath his soles were entirely real, and the dense natural energy permeating the air was real too. As they crossed the lawn, the sound of children laughing gleefully could be heard from afar.
Hwaryeong sat down on a wooden bench beneath a sycamore tree. When Sihyeon hesitantly sat down beside her, Hwaryeong began her explanation.
“This place is called 'Mirage'. In the past, it used to be called a mirage in our language, but for some reason, everyone started calling it 'Mirage' instead.”
Sihyeon raised his hand and waved it as if caressing the air. He could feel the mild breeze passing through his fingers.
“Is it a space that doesn't actually exist, just like its name? It feels far too real for that to be the case.”
“Since it is eternally forbidden to some, it might as well not exist to them. But for those who live here or are permitted to visit, it is a space that truly exists.”
“The natural energy is……”
It felt like the fairies' forest where the World Tree resided. Sihyeon surrendered himself to the wind and took in the abundant natural energy of the sycamore tree.
“…The concentration is incredible.”
“It’s the reason why the Divine Beasts keep their nests here. Hibernation is a type of recharging, after all.”
“Ah.”
Sihyeon nodded, and then a sudden realization struck him.
“Then the intruder you mentioned might not be human? For instance, another Divine Beast.”
“……If it had been an ordinary human, they would have seen a normal hallway and guest rooms upon exiting the elevator. A being devoid of natural power cannot enter this place. Therefore, it’s safe to say there’s almost zero chance of it being a human.”
She paused for a moment and stared off into the distance. Sihyeon wondered what the Vermilion Bird was looking at. It felt as though she wasn't merely looking at the scenery, but at something else entirely. When Sihyeon asked about it, she let out a brief sigh.
“You have too many curiosities.”
“Ah. I’m sorry.”
“…Still, it wasn’t a bad question. Since it's also related to the favor I asked of you.”
This time, he kept his mouth shut. Fortunately, she resumed her explanation right away.
“There are those who manage Mirage. Simply put, we call them 'Managers'. Because this is a space where creation and destruction constantly repeat, small gaps appear from time to time. They manage it to ensure disgusting things don't slip through those gaps.”
For a fleeting second, a murderous aura flashed across Hwaryeong’s brow before vanishing.
“When someone visits for the first time like you, they come out to perform a background check. Those who pass the check can see the announcements of Mirage, just like what I was looking at earlier.”
“Ah. Are there specific grounds for disqualification?”
“There are plenty of reasons. If you’re unlucky, you can get expelled immediately.”
Sihyeon pursed his lips and rolled his eyes.
“I’m getting nervous.”
“You’re my guest, so you’ll be fine.”
The moment her words ended, a brown horse appeared from over the edge of the hill.
“Speak of the devil. It got here quickly.”
When he first saw the horse, he was a bit flustered, thinking they would have to ride it to travel somewhere. Although he had plenty of opportunities to ride horses in his past life, he wasn't particularly fond of equestrianism. That was also why, upon hearing that this handsome brown horse was actually the manager, he felt slightly more relieved than surprised.
“To think you wouldn't even look surprised when a horse speaks.”
“Ah, well, that's because I’ve always been quite good at communicating with animals and plants.”
“…I just made such a splendid horse-related pun, and you're being completely serious right now??”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. I shouldn't waste my breath talking to a horse like you.”
“Ah—. Hahaha?”
“See? If you think about it carefully, it’s quite funny.”
While he was forcing a laugh while walking on eggshells around the horse that cracked strange jokes, Lady Hwaryeong frowned and spoke up.
“Stop torturing him with your words and just do what you came here to do quickly. I'm busy.”
“Torture? Your words are a bit harsh. It’s been a while since you visited, so why don’t you stay a bit longer before leaving?”
“I’m only staying for a single day. Time flows differently here.”
The horse let out a whinny.
“It’s just that it’s been a while since I’ve seen a human.”
Looking at him positively, the horse was cheerful; frankly speaking, he was a bit restless and frivolous. However, separate from his outward demeanor, he was the manager of this place and possessed an unimaginably massive amount of natural energy.
The horse muttered under its breath.
“Strangely enough, I don't feel like questioning you at all. I feel at ease, so to speak.”
Taking another step closer to Sihyeon, the horse began sniffing him thoroughly. Sihyeon awkwardly spun around a full turn as guided by the horse, and even hopped in place a few times.
“You have a delicious scent. Grass? Fruits?”
Hwaryeong asked as if she found it absurd.
“Since when did background checks turn into sniffing tests?”
“Well, that happens to be the exclusive authority of a manager.”
As if feeling suspicious, the horse thrust its head right up toward Sihyeon’s face. Unable to resist, Sihyeon gently touched its black mane. The horse closed one eye as if winking and said:
“A little more.”
I thought it was going to scold me…? Sihyeon stroked the mane once more. This time, a bit longer.
Neigh—!
The horse pricked its pointed ears forward and swished its tail. This was a behavior horses showed when they were in a good mood. Sihyeon caressed its mane a little more. It felt soft and warm.
The horse lowered its head and slowly snorted out a breath.
Neigh-eigh—!
“Great! Passed!”
The moment the horse manager shouted that he had passed, a wave-like power swept right through Sihyeon. From beside him, he heard Hwaryeong let out a chuckle.
“Aren't you being way too soft?”
“What do you take me for? Those 'Nightmare' bastards don't smell this good. Besides, the guarantor is none other than Lady Hwaryeong.”
A sheet of paper suddenly materialized in midair and stopped right in front of Hwaryeong. The horse manager read out the contents.
“I assume full responsibility for everything that occurs in Mirage due to the aforementioned visitor…… Guarantor: Vermilion Bird, Hwaryeong.”
The paper fluttered as if urging her. Hwaryeong raised her hand with an expressionless face and spoke.
“Pen.”
From somewhere, a pen flew over like an arrow.
Catching the pen effortlessly between her index and middle fingers, Hwaryeong spun it around once and signed her name. Once the horse manager verified it, the paper rolled itself up tightly and flew straight into the leather bag slung across the horse manager's back.
Sihyeon watched this entire sequence blankly before asking a question.
“Is it over?”
“Mm.”
The horse manager thrust his head forward again. It felt a bit strange, but Sihyeon naturally stroked his mane before pausing his hand.
“Just a moment.”
Sihyeon opened the messenger bag he was carrying across his shoulder and pulled out a paper bag. As a sweet aroma wafted out, both the horse and Hwaryeong focused their eyes intently on the bag. For some reason, it felt as though the natural energy of the apples had been amplified further.
“…It’s nothing major, but I grow a variety of things.”
Sihyeon pulled out three apples and handed one to Hwaryeong first. With an expressionless face, she observed the apple resting in her hand.
“I washed them thoroughly, so you can just eat it straight away. Do you happen to dislike apples?”
“…No. I was just looking because its energy is remarkably potent for an apple.”
“I put quite a bit of care into growing them.”
Neigh!
“I'll split it for you.”
The horse manager was standing with his mouth wide open, revealing his large, square teeth.
Snap!
Sihyeon split the apple in half, removed the seeds, and held it up to the horse’s mouth. The horse munched on the apple deliciously, making smacking sounds. The remaining half went down the same way. Seeing the horse manager smacking his lips as if wanting more, Sihyeon split his own share of the apple and handed over another half. Before he knew it, Lady Hwaryeong had also opened her tiny mouth and was quietly chewing on her apple. The way the corners of her eyes relaxed softly suggested it was perfectly to her liking.
Crunch, crunch. Chomp, chomp.
One human and two Divine Beasts spent a brief moment having an apple break together.
Neigh-eigh—!
“I've never tasted such a delicious apple in my life. The natural energy is bountiful, and the nutrition is incredibly rich. I’ve been put in a wonderful mood.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad.”
Sihyeon placed a hand over his chest. For a Druid, receiving praise for the produce they grew with their own hands was the ultimate reward. Looking at Sihyeon’s deeply moved expression, Hwaryeong frowned.
“What’s with you? Is this your first time hearing a compliment?”
“Hardly any humans can perceive natural energy. And compliments like this taste best when they are specific. It’s a feeling I haven't experienced in a very long time……”
“Ah. That’s true. There’s no way any human would recognize that power. Maybe a Manshin might feel a tiny bit of it.”
“Exactly.”
Hwaryeong nodded her head.
“Bring more apples the next time you come. The Thousand-Mile Horse clan is packed with guys like him. They'll probably crack strange jokes all day long, though.”
“That's a bit too transparent.”
As Sihyeon grumbled, Hwaryeong responded with a curl of her lips.
“Look at your face. It’s an expression that says you don’t care whether it’s transparent or not.”
The horse manager snorted out a breath in agreement.
“We’ll welcome apples like this anytime! Not just us, but everyone else will love them too. You’re welcome to visit often!”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“See you around! You too, Lady Hwaryeong!!”
Neigh!
Swishing his tail, the horse manager bolted forward powerfully. His figure soon vanished over the ridge.
“Now, we must get moving as well. Time flows quickly here.”
Hwaryeong urged him forward.
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