Chapter 2

A broad plateau stretched across the middle of the Ulta Mountain Range.

At the tail end of a warm spring, green maple trees sprouted along the ridges, while azaleas and bush clovers bloomed sparsely atop the low hills.

The peach blossoms stood out above them all.

The spring foliage blanketing the mountain range seemed to whisper its greenery as if proudly showing it off.

Even the newly sprouted buds had begun to bloom.

It was, without question, a mountain range worthy of being called a breathtaking spectacle.

But only up to this point.

If one continued climbing along the ridge, the land eventually became so flat that it was easy to forget this was a mountain range at all. At the beginning of that stretch stood a warning sign, blocked off by a sacred straw rope.

「 Gwisu (Temple Guarded by Ghosts) — Forbidden to Humans. Turn Back Without Fail. 」

A temple guarded by ghosts. This land forbids humans. Turn back at once.

Despite the grim warning, the moment one stepped over the sacred rope, the scenery completely changed.

The lush spring mountains vanished without a trace, replaced by streams as red as blood, decaying sacred ropes that carried no blessing, withered trees, eerie winds, and dead leaves drifting through the air.

True to its name as a temple guarded by ghosts, this place was the sacred ground of the Dokkaebi—beings known as Dogwi.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Stepping into Gwisu, Mongryeon grinned.

"So, how does it feel to set foot in the territory of the Dogwi?"

"It's... unsettling."

"That's a boring answer."

"It's fascinating, too. Why is this place like this?"

"It's only natural. There are countless beings here constantly emitting demonic energy, so the surrounding environment can't endure it. Once you leave, you won't be able to return here with your own strength, so don't cross the sacred rope."

"I'll remember that."

On their way here, Mongryeon had revealed her true identity to Yise.

She was the Chief of the Dogwi and the one who oversaw all of Gwisu.

Faced with such an unimaginable revelation, Yise silently pondered with his usual expressionless face.

She had said she would let him hunt and kill Demons.

Yet wasn't she herself a type of Demon?

Is this really okay...?

"I know exactly what you're thinking, but the Dogwi aren't ordinary Demons. We were simply born with the ability to wield demonic energy, so we're classified as Demons. In the first place, we're humanity's strongest allies. Just think of us as a different race."

As if mocking his doubts, Mongryeon dismissed them outright.

Yise silently nodded.

After trudging through the muddy ground for a while, a gate bearing the words Chumun slowly opened.

Creeeak.

With the groaning of old hinges, the interior came into view.

Immediately, the gazes of the Dogwi—each bearing a horn upon their heads—turned toward them.

At first their faces brightened in welcome.

But the instant they noticed Yise standing beside Mongryeon, every pair of eyes turned crimson.

The sight of countless eyes changing red all at once was so bizarre that it made Yise's heart skip a beat.

A human?

That's a human...

Mongryeon shouted loudly.

"He's family now!"

That alone was enough to erase their hostility.

The sharp, threatening stares disappeared completely, and time, which had seemed frozen, began flowing once more.

Yise followed behind Mongryeon.

Most of the Dogwi gradually lost interest, but the younger ones—especially the boys—continued staring at him with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

Mongryeon added in a warning tone.

"They're at the age where they love fighting, but don't go causing any serious trouble."

"I understand the position I'm in."

"I'm not telling you to walk on eggshells. It'll probably take them some time to accept you, but endure it. Once we've decided to take someone in... they're family."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Watching Yise answer so maturely, Mongryeon clicked her tongue once again.

He was unnaturally mature.

Almost as though an immortal sage wore the body of a child...

Or as if he were living his life for the second time.

What am I even thinking...

While Mongryeon dismissed the absurd thought, Yise quietly memorized the layout of Gwisu.

It was instinct.

A habit.

Beyond the Chumun stood an enormous main hall.

Rows of tiled buildings where the Dokkaebi came and went lined both sides of it.

In front of them lay several training grounds of various sizes.

More buildings could be seen farther up the mountain path to the right, though no obvious entrance was visible.

"That's as far as I go with you. I have to resume my patrol. I'll see you again this evening."

"Chief."

"Yeah?"

"What should I do until you return?"

"For now, eat well and get plenty of rest."

"...Pardon?"

"Not just today. From now on, always eat well and sleep well. If you want to fight properly, your arms and legs need to grow at least another half-span. Nutrition is your biggest priority right now. If you don't grow properly during this stage of your life, you'll regret it for the rest of your years while hunting Demons."

"...I'll engrave those words into my heart."

After ruffling Yise's hair, Mongryeon called over a young female Dogwi who had been pretending not to stare while secretly glancing their way.

"Gong-ah. Come here."

"Yes, Chief!"

The girl called Gong-ah practically bounced over to them.

She had round eyes, full lips, and the lively appearance of a mischievous girl.

Yise calmly straightened his tousled hair before briefly glancing at the girl his own age.

Their eyes met.

Gong-ah smiled brightly and blinked cheerfully.

"Take this boy to the kitchen and tell Chanmo that I asked her to prepare food for him. Then arrange a place for him to stay."

"Yes!"

Gong-ah answered enthusiastically.

She's a cheerful kid.

After Mongryeon departed, Gong-ah's sparkling eyes wandered curiously over Yise from head to toe.

Smiling with crescent-shaped eyes, she asked,

"Nice to meet you! I'm Gong-ah. What's your name?"

"Yise."

"Yise? That's an unusual name!"

Was it?

When Yise gave no response, Gong-ah slowly circled around him, studying him.

"Wow... you really don't have horns."

"That's because I'm human."

"So humans naturally have ears this small and yellowish skin?"

"Something like that."

"Heeey..."

She spent a while curiously examining him before her eyes lit up again.

"Want me to show you around Gwisu? Oh! Are you hungry?"

Yise shook his head.

"I'm fine. Not yet."

"That's a relief!"

With that, Gong-ah grabbed his hand and eagerly began pulling him around.

"The building in the center is the Main Hall. Pretty much every important matter in Gwisu happens there. Most of it is restricted, so don't go inside carelessly."

She pointed to the massive central building.

"The buildings on both sides are the living quarters. There are plenty of empty rooms, so you can choose whichever one you like."

Then to the buildings lining each side.

"This is the training ground, and over there is the kitchen. Meal times are during the Hour of the Dragon, the Hour of the Horse, and the Hour of the Rooster, so don't be late! Don't worry if you can't tell time. The bell rings whenever it's time to eat. Normally no one's allowed into the kitchen outside meal hours... but since the Chief made a special request, it'll be fine!"

Then she introduced the facilities near the courtyard.

"If you take the trail behind the temple and head up the hill, you'll find the burial mounds of those who've passed away, a memorial altar honoring them, and the stone statues of all the previous Chiefs. That's our sacred ground, so you must never damage anything there. Oh, and behind the Main Hall we have our secret base. I'll show it to you another time!"

After kindly explaining the layout of Gwisu, Gong-ah led him to the kitchen.

She knocked twice on the wooden door.

A middle-aged female Dogwi opened it.

"Auntie! This is Yise, a human! The Chief said to make sure he gets something to eat!"

The kitchen Dogwi looked surprised for a moment as she examined Yise, then smiled warmly.

"So the Chief has brought in a new family member. It's been a long time since I've seen a human. Welcome, child. How old are you?"

"I turned ten this year."

"My, how mature you are."

"What? I'm twenty-two!"

The woman gently patted Gong-ah's head before adding,

"Humans age twice as fast as Dokkaebi. So if you think about it that way, Gong-ah is actually about a year older than Yise."

"That still makes me the Older Sister!"

"You must be happy to have a little brother now. Take good care of him."

"Okay!"

Smiling brightly, Gong-ah bowed her head and left.

A short while later, an extravagant meal was placed before Yise.

There were so many dishes that it seemed the table itself might collapse under their weight.

"Isn't... this a little too much?"

"My dear, you're far too thin for a ten-year-old. Children need to eat plenty while they're growing."

"But I—"

He was merely a dependent.

Worse still, he was a human from another race.

Strictly speaking, although he had been invited here, if he disappointed Chief Mongryeon, there would be nothing strange about being driven out at any time.

"Now, now. Once you've entered Gwisu, I won't allow a single child under this roof to waste away—not while I'm still alive. Your food will get cold. Go ahead and eat."

"...Thank you."

Despite everything, the woman before him was nothing but kind.

Yise slowly lifted a spoonful of the rich soup and brought it to his lips.

It was warm.

The hot broth slid down his throat, filled his stomach with warmth, and spread throughout his entire body.

Suddenly, he remembered what had happened that morning.

The reason he had followed Chief Mongryeon without the slightest hesitation...

Was simply because...

The porridge inside the bamboo container she had handed him was warm.

Warmth that had revived the body of a boy left to die beneath the cold indifference of the villagers.

That warmth had led him here.

Just like the kindness in the heart of the female Dogwi now smiling at him across the table.

Yise continued eating until his stomach felt ready to burst.

He finished every single dish that had been prepared for him.

***

Of course, not everything was warm hospitality.

"Hey, human!"

Yise slowly looked at the group of young male Dogwi blocking his path while he searched for a room.

They looked a year or two older than he was.

They were probably part of the "our" that Gong-ah had referred to when mentioning our secret base.

Yise quietly turned to face them and waited.

In moments like this, it was better to understand the other party's intentions before speaking.

"You've got some nerve coming into Gwisu when you're just a human!"

"And holding hands with a Dogwi? How arrogant."

"You need a good beating to learn your place."

Children revealed malice more easily than adults.

And the reason was usually simple.

Jealousy.

Apparently, the girl named Gong-ah who had been kind to him played the role of a popular princess among the children here.

They simply didn't like seeing her show him affection.

"What, are you mute? Say something."

Judging by the way they had rolled up their sleeves, they clearly intended to put him in his place.

After briefly considering the wisest course of action, Yise slowly lowered his head.

He could feel the piercing stares aimed at the crown of his head gradually changing into confusion.

It was easy to bow.

Even if they were only young Dogwi, there was no need to make unnecessary enemies.

This was the place where he would have to rely on others to survive.

"I'm sorry for trespassing into the territory of the Dogwi despite being nothing more than a mere human. Please forgive my shamelessness and allow me to stay. My family was massacred by Demons, leaving me nowhere else to go, so I followed Chief Mongryeon here."

"W-What? N-No..."

"Why are you putting it like that...? Humans really are dramatic..."

Yise slowly raised his head.

The boys, who had never learned how to deal with someone responding this way, stood there completely flustered.

"W-Wait, this isn't how it was supposed to go... H-Hey, what do we do now?"

"I look forward to getting along with you."

Just then, a bright, booming voice echoed across the grounds.

"Ilchwi! Woljang! Goegeol! Why are you picking on our new family member? I'm telling the Chief!"

Gong-ah had appeared before anyone noticed and immediately began scolding the three boys.

After fumbling awkwardly for a while, the boys finally retreated.

Gong-ah turned to Yise with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Yise. They're not bad kids... Humans are just unfamiliar to them, so they acted a little mean. I'll make sure they don't bother you again."

"It's alright. But what brings you here?"

"The Chief has returned."

"She's looking for you."