The next two days passed uneventfully—which was a welcome relief for Ae-rin.
It gave her time to clear her mind and think. She spent her hours helping with small chores around the mansion, assisting in the kitchen and cleaning rooms. But in a world like this, could true quiet ever last for long?
It was grocery shopping day. Every ten days or so, the team went down to the central market to gather supplies, which were then delivered back to headquarters.
This time, Ae-rin accompanied Sun-hee and Seo-young. The shopping list was massive. While the market vendors instantly recognized Sun-hee and Seo-young, Ae-rin was a fresh face, prompting a endless cycle of introductions. At one point, Seo-young accidentally blurted out that Ae-rin was an outworlder.
Predictably, a massive crowd gathered in seconds. Within moments, Ae-rin had the entire market's undivided attention.
"So the prophecy is actually true?"
"Oh, finally! Those monsters are going to be driven out of our lives!"
"What a relief!"
"Our lady savior! We can't express how grateful we are!"
Fragments of excitement echoed from the crowd surrounding her. It felt like going viral on the internet—though, thankfully, for a good reason.
That sudden spotlight, however, wasn't the real problem of the day. The entire scene was also being watched from afar by a few unfamiliar figures—people who knew of Ae-rin, but had yet to meet her face-to-face.
Eventually, Hyunwoo and Yoon-hwan pushed through the crowd to clear a path, having rushed over as soon as news of the commotion reached them. Ae-rin had been stuck there for a good twenty minutes.
Once they were clear, the girls thanked the two men. Seo-young immediately went into her signature broken-record apology loop, forcing Ae-rin to step in and calm her down. It wasn't a terrible situation—in fact, the public recognition might help Goguryeo-sun's protectors later on. However, those watching eyes now had a crystal-clear view of her appearance.
As the crowd thinned out, a cold shiver ran down Ae-rin's spine. It felt like being locked in the sights of a predator.
"What's the matter, Ae-rin?" Hyunwoo asked.
"Someone is..." Ae-rin scanned the surrounding rooftops and alleys. "...watching me."
The observers didn't bother hiding their presence for another second. Five figures stepped forward from the shadows: Hwan-hee, Do-hyun, Tae-seok, Sion, and Seon-woo.
"Wow. I never thought the Crows could get their hands on such an asset—and a gorgeous one at that," one of them said with a sweeping gesture. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady. I'm Seo Hwan-hee."
Despite his theatrical intro, Ae-rin kept her tone cool and polite. "It's nice to meet you too, Hwan-hee-ssi. I'm A—"
"Ae-rin, you should head back to HQ with Sun-hee and Seo-young," Hyunwoo interrupted, stepping firmly between them.
"…Oh. I understand."
Ae-rin could still feel those sharp eyes drilling holes into her back as she walked away with the girls. It was obvious that these two factions—or rather, these two rival nations—had been enemies for years. As she glanced back, she saw other members of Goguryeo-sun heading toward the market square to back up Hyunwoo and Yoon-hwan.
It had been more than five hours since Ae-rin and the girls returned to headquarters.
Along the way, Sun-hee explained the geopolitical landscape: when the realms first divided, a massive magic barrier was erected along each nation's border. Crossing it required an official permit. However, as monster attacks intensified along Goguryeo-sun's perimeter over the past few years, the barrier had thinned out significantly. Under normal circumstances, the barrier would replenish itself, but constant assaults prevented recovery.
Goguryeo-sun strictly honored the border treaties, as did their neighboring allies in Sulle-guk. Their rivals in Baekho-Jeoguk, however, had repeatedly crossed into foreign territory without permission. Whenever confronted, their commanders would casually claim, "We didn't even realize we crossed the border."
Their current leader—a certain clever brunette from her mother's comic books—always managed to talk his men out of trouble because of his silver tongue. Today's intrusion at the market was nothing new; Baekho-Jeoguk had been warned repeatedly, yet here they were again. Still, the squad wouldn't have reacted so defensively if Ae-rin hadn't been present. They were simply trying to ensure her safety.
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Ae-rin processed the new information throughout the afternoon. When the patrol team finally returned, everyone gathered in the courtyard alongside a few representatives from the local market to discuss the incident.
"Those pesky fools always come barging in without permission!" Hyunwoo grumbled.
"Angel-chan, they didn't try anything funny with you, did they?" Yeong asked anxiously.
Past run-ins with Baekho-Jeoguk had left everyone on high alert. Suddenly, all eyes in the courtyard turned to Ae-rin.
"Hm? No, just one guy introduced himself," Ae-rin said smoothly, keeping her inner knowledge from her previous world hidden.
Yes, Ae-rin, play dumb like you don't know who they are, you little role player.
"Ae-rin, he was clearly hitting on you," Yoon-hwan noted with a deadpan look.
"Oh, no worries. I'm completely immune to cheesy pick-up lines."
A brief silence fell over the yard.
"You know what? She might look naive, but she's got a sharp head on her shoulders," Yu-jun blurted out.
'So I look dumb to you normally?! Well, anyway...' Ae-rin deadpanned internally.
"Still, those pricks will definitely try something now that they know you're the divine priestess," Seo-young said, her face filled with guilt.
"Um... is that really a problem?" Ae-rin asked, tilting her head.
"Of course it is!"
"Well, if I'm going to have to travel to the other nations eventually anyway, it's fine that they know," Ae-rin reasoned calmly. "They would have found out sooner or later."
"She makes a good point," Do-hoon agreed. "If we're eventually going to form an alliance with them regarding the monster threat, we have to establish communication. Now that they know about Ae-rin, initiating contact will actually be much easier."
"And their relationship with the Falcons in Sulle-guk is better than it used to be," Daeshim added.
"True, but that's still a ways off. We need to handle the challenge directly in front of us first."
One of the elder market vendors stepped forward. "Lady Ae-rin... we don't know all the details of what you're discussing, but truth be told, even with these young ravens protecting us on the battlefield, everyday people like us have never stepped forward to help keep everyone safe. But today, when Baekho-Jeoguk's men barged into town, seeing how fast the whole team rushed to protect you proved how important you are. We haven't been much help to Goguryeo-sun's protectors so far, but if you need extra manpower in the future, we will help however we can."
A heavy silence settled over the courtyard.
"Important?" Ae-rin repeated softly.
Everyone looked at her.
"No, you have that wrong," Ae-rin said, her voice quiet but firm. "I may or may not be the person in the prophecy, but you are the people they've been fighting on the front lines for all this time. The front line was just never directly in front of your eyes before. You are the ones who are important."
Simple words, but they carried immense weight. Ae-rin had a natural gift for speaking directly to people's hearts without even realizing it.
"Lady Ae-rin, you are far too kind," another townsperson murmured softly.
"They're the ones who deserve that credit," Ae-rin smiled faintly. "And please, just call me Ae-rin. I'm only twenty-one, you know. I'm really not used to all this 'lady' stuff."
The old man chuckled. "Heh, alright. Just Ae-rin."
"Ae-rin is right," Do-hoon continued. "Every nation's defense unit exists to protect its people. But it's also true that we may need additional manpower soon."
"Like when, Do-hoon-ssi?" Il-seong asked.
"When Ae-rin returns from the imperial trial—"
"Wait! Ae-rin is taking the imperial trial?!" The old vendor gasped in shock. "But—"
"Yes," Do-hoon answered smoothly. "We've deliberated on the best course of action to catch our Lord's attention. I hope you can trust our judgment. For now, all we can do is wish her luck."
"I... I see."
"Which brings me back to my point," Do-hoon said, addressing the crowd. "We need to start diplomatic outreach with the other nations after the trial. I want Hyunwoo to form a specialized escort team to accompany her. When they depart, our townspeople will need to step up and hold down the rear lines here to ensure we're all here to welcome them back."
"I understand," Yoon-hwan said, "but is it alright to leave defence duties to civilians?"
"Don't say that," the elder vendor interjected firmly. "We may not be trained warriors like you, but if it means we never have to fear those monsters again, we will gladly fight for that future. I know even those who are still hesitant will believe once you achieve the impossible. If Ae-rin returns victorious from the trial, the rest of the town will stand up to help. We've all lost loved ones to those beasts. I just don't want the next generation to suffer the same pain."
"I understand," Ae-rin said gently. "And I know you're worried about whether I'll survive the trial. Thank you for caring. Over the last two days, Do-hoon-ssi gave me several texts regarding the beliefs of the Raven's Followers. From what I've gathered... I genuinely believe I can do this. In fact, if my understanding is correct, I think I've figured out what the trial actually tests."
Before anyone could react, she raised her index finger quickly. "But! But, I can't say for certain just yet."
The tense expressions in the yard relaxed into light chuckles.
"I'll explain everything once I get back, deal?" Ae-rin promised with a grin.
"Deal!"
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At around the same time, near the border outpost of Baekho-Jeoguk...
"Did you see that? She was definitely trying to talk to me!" Hwan-hee complained dramatically. "Ugh! If only that buzzkill Hyunwoo hadn't stepped in!"
"If what the crowd was chanting is true, she's the child of prophecy," Do-hyun pointed out, ignoring Hwan-hee's theater.
"And she's stunning! Ah..." Hwan-hee sighed, completely unbothered by the gravity of the situation.
The rest of the group sweat-dropped.
"Her instincts are sharp," Sion observed quietly. "She sensed our presence the second the crowd thinned out. That's never happened before with a civilian."
"Yeah," Tae-seok said, crossing his arms. "We need to inform the boss immediately."
Seon-woo stretched his arms behind his head, a wild grin flashing across his face. "Yep! That's exactly why we're back, isn't it?"
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