Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

“It must be Baek-a, right?”

Despite my abrupt question, Han Cha-hyun and Yun Su-ho immediately nodded. It was incredibly fortunate that I had thought to ask the gatekeepers, just in case.

‘There’s no way there’d be anyone else in the afterlife who could be called a child besides Baek-a.’

The testimony about giving a name also pointed to this conclusion. It seems Sa Mok-yeong hadn’t been mistaken after all. I had a feeling that this quest, which started with the faintest of clues, was finally entering its final act.

Still, we couldn’t let our guard down. Remaining vigilant, I surveyed our surroundings.

Unlike the mystical atmosphere of the Western Garden of Flowers, Yeomra’s domain looked no different from the residence of any high-ranking official. Except for being excessively luxurious and vast.

I stared at the lone towering building in the center of an area large enough to be a small town. Yeomra was likely in there. How ironic that he lived in such opulence after arbitrarily dragging Sa Mok-yeong here and dumping her in the flower garden.

‘Whether in the world of the living or the dead, those in power always have it easy.’

This sentiment wasn’t just about Sa Mok-yeong. I frowned as I watched the butterflies and people busily moving between the buildings. These were the soul butterflies that had vanished from the flower garden. They were all frantically attending to Yeomra’s needs.

“Yeomra-nim has ordered the meal to be prepared earlier than usual!”

“He wants to enjoy some performances too, so we need to gather the entertainers quickly.”

“Don’t dawdle, move faster! If Yeomra-nim gets angry, he might punish us again!”

To kidnap those who should be resting and work them to the bone like this… I couldn’t find a single good thing to say, even in jest. Yeomra’s oppressive power, which had been bearing down on me since we arrived, was equally unpleasant.

‘I suppose all the soul butterflies coming here during the next Month of Purification will end up like this too.’

It was a bitter thought, but with my own urgent situation, I couldn’t afford to worry about others. Glancing to the side, I saw that Han Cha-hyun and Yun Su-ho’s expressions weren’t bright either.

Situationally speaking, Yeomra’s tyranny worked in our favor. All the soul butterflies cooperated easily as long as we prefaced our requests with “by Yeomra’s order.”

“That scarecrow is over there.”

“Hurry and go check it out! If you’re late, we might get scolded too.”

Although Yeomra’s domain was complex enough for first-time visitors to easily get lost, we had no trouble finding our way by asking the soul butterflies passing through each alley.

Thanks to the butterflies being too busy to be suspicious, we traversed the domain unhindered.

“After we pass through the outskirts over there, it should be visible right after we turn the corner.”

Soon enough, the corner the soul butterflies had mentioned came into view. As we quickly rounded it, a low hill appeared, previously hidden by the whale-back-like buildings.

At first, I wasn’t sure. The hill was filled with bare trees, making it difficult to see what was between them. Only after squinting and looking carefully several times did I finally spot the scarecrow Sa Mok-yeong had mentioned.

“There! Do you see that blue glimmer?”

“It looks like the same color as the ornament Gaho is wearing.”

“I’ll go check if it’s safe first.”

In the blink of an eye, Yun Su-ho dashed towards the scarecrow, then soon waved for us to come over. Without delay, Han Cha-hyun and I moved to join him.

“Let’s see here.”

How long had it been left here? The shoulder-high scarecrow was in a shabby state. Its face had faded from exposure to wind and rain, and the clothes draped on it were so worn that it was hard to discern their original color.

“By the way, I wonder who put a scarecrow in a place like this?”

Turning my head, I saw Han Cha-hyun fiddling with his glasses frame as he continued speaking. Typically, scarecrows are made to scare away birds. He was indirectly pointing out that there are no birds in the afterlife.

“Of course, it’s possible we just haven’t seen any. But even so, the question remains: why here of all places? As you can see, there are no crops here, just trees with bare branches.”

“Indeed. That’s a point worth considering.”

“…Well, what if we look at it from a different perspective?”

At my cautious suggestion, both Han Cha-hyun and Yun Su-ho turned their attention to me. Well, this hypothesis had just occurred to me after hearing Han Cha-hyun’s interpretation… I began speaking while gently touching the scarecrow’s sleeve.

“If we focus on the essence of ‘driving away’ rather than ‘birds,’ doesn’t it change the story? If this scarecrow is some kind of village guardian statue, it wouldn’t be strange for it to be on the outskirts like this.”

“Focusing on the symbolism, I see. That’s a good point.”

“I can’t agree. Yun Gaho, are you saying these rags are a totem? Isn’t that stretching the interpretation too far?”

I pulled on Yun Su-ho’s arm as he grumbled, allowing him to get a closer look at the scarecrow. Then, with my other hand, I pointed to the rank badge sewn onto the scarecrow’s clothes.

“Here. Look at this carefully. Who would put clothes with this on a mere scarecrow?”

The badge was so faded that you had to lean in close to barely make out its shape, but it depicted a tiger walking through a forest, embroidered in detail. It seemed to have been made with great care.

I gently brushed the shoulder of the neglected scarecrow.

“Even setting aside the rank badge, there’s this necklace, isn’t there? Baek-a wouldn’t have carelessly left behind something she’s had since birth.”

“On that point, I completely agree with Gaho-ssi. When I was in Cheonsan, I heard a lot about the child named Baek-a from Sarome. She’s not someone who would easily abandon such a precious necklace.”

“This scarecrow must have some significance.”

As I finished speaking, I untied the knot of the ornament I had kept inside my belt. Slowly, I raised my hand to bring the ornament and the necklace’s jade together. As if they had always been one, the two uneven surfaces fit together perfectly.

As I gazed down at the blue jade that had finally formed a complete circle, suddenly my hand became wet. I tilted my head, puzzled by the droplets moistening the back of my hand.

“It’s not an unexpected shower…”

The culprit was the scarecrow. Even as the patterns on its face streamed down, the scarecrow didn’t stop crying. Its silent weeping continued for quite some time.

‘Could it be? No, it can’t be. And yet…’

As I stared blankly at the scarecrow, struck by a sudden hypothesis, Yun Su-ho grabbed my hand. I let out a hollow laugh as I watched him wipe the back of my hand on his own clothes.

“Stay still. I’ll get out a detox potion.”

“You don’t need to. It’ll be fine.”

“What kind of carefree talk is that?”

“I think I know what this scarecrow is.”

My eyes, now tinged with gold, reflected in Yun Su-ho’s pupils. Shaking off his grip, I placed my hand on the scarecrow’s shoulder once more.

“Gaho-ssi, can you see something?”

“No.”

The power enveloping the entire domain was suppressing my Explorer’s Eye. It was identical to its master, Yeomra, without a shred of mercy. However…

“What’s visible isn’t everything.”

Activating my skill made it even clearer. Yeomra was trying to control those who entered his domain at will. But there was a way around it. Even if he exerted himself to suppress us from the outside, he couldn’t prevent direct interaction.

‘It’s just like when I first went to Kallos’s house.’

With this trivial reminiscence, I channeled mana into the scarecrow. As if it had been waiting for this, the scarecrow revealed its inner workings without any resistance.

After thoroughly examining its mana channels and understanding all the bindings placed on it, I was about to withdraw my mana when the scarecrow gently wrapped its own power around the tip of my mana before releasing it. Just like a child interlocking and releasing their fingers.

‘Poor thing.’

Leaving it behind, I spoke nonchalantly to the two men waiting for me.

“This is it. Our final destination.”

“…?”

“Wait a moment. Gaho-ssi, surely you don’t mean…”

“Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

Unlike Han Cha-hyun, Yun Su-ho seemed completely clueless. That’s understandable. I wouldn’t have believed it either if I hadn’t felt it directly. Patting the scarecrow’s shoulder, I revealed the truth.

“This scarecrow is Baek-a.”

For a moment, no words were exchanged. It was an ending none of us had imagined. A child driven to the afterlife by her father’s greed in the first place. And now, to find her in this state, bound like this.

Though not a hero undergoing trials, it was truly a cruel fate.

“Is this Yeomra’s doing?”

Han Cha-hyun, who had been silent, asked in a calm voice. It was more like confirming a certainty than asking a question. Perhaps he, like me, had sensed something with his special trait.

“Yes, the only one capable of doing this within this domain would be that fellow.”

“This is quite troublesome.”

Yun Su-ho nodded slightly, seeming to agree. We had come all the way to the afterlife and found Baek-a, but we might end up returning empty-handed. Explaining this to Sarome would be another challenge.

‘If Sarome falls into despair and loses his mind with Baek-a gone, it’s truly over.’

I had asked Shin-ju to prepare contingency plans, but… With Agil, the Three-Headed Nine-Tailed Fox, and others likely to swarm in, it would be too much for us to handle alone.

Regardless of the Month of Purification, having come this far, I desperately wanted to take Baek-a back with us. This hidden quest was also about retracing this child’s journey. Knowing all that story, I didn’t want to give up so easily just because it seemed difficult.

‘I couldn’t save the Sixth Princess, but this child, somehow…’

As I recalled the other princess with her hands and feet bound, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten. With a gambling spirit, I pulled out the gift the Sixth Princess had given me from my inventory.

As I clenched my fist, I felt the rough texture of the cloth. I stared down at the clumsy embroidery on the cotton pouch.

Could the danger we faced be considered insurmountable? Probably not. I might come to regret this choice when faced with the crisis of the Month of Purification night.

But I wasn’t the type to hold back a card I could use for a potential future.

“Let’s try it. After all, the most important thing is right now.”

I boldly untied the drawstring of the white pouch.

At that moment, for some reason, I thought I heard the voice of the Sixth Princess, Ju I-myeong.

‘Prayers for others tend to hold great power.’