Chapter 130: What Are You Now? (1)

‘Who are you again? (1)’

‘The wind was cold, and the moon was hidden by clouds.’

‘I recall the face that asked me, holding a sword.’

‘-The night is cold. Why did you come out?’

‘Her tightly tied blonde hair shone even in the darkness.’

‘When could this have been?’

‘So much had happened that I couldn’t pick just one.’

‘-Not just anyone, but you’re worried I might be cold right now?’

‘Even if it wasn’t a kind question, my response was incredibly harsh.’

‘Incompetent feelings of inadequacy are truly pathetic.’

‘Even with that tone, her expression didn’t change.’

‘-…If not that, then I suppose it’s time for the shift change.’

‘-If you know, then disappear quickly.’

‘-Will you be alright?’

‘-What?’

‘Unlike her hair, which was dyed a bright golden blonde, her eyes were subtle.’

‘-This time slot is the most dangerous.’

‘-So, you’re saying I’m weak, so I should crawl away?’

‘-That’s not what I meant, but….’

‘At her words, flames erupted from my body.’

‘Compared to now, it was truly pathetic.’

‘The flames, which were expanding into a domain, died out without even putting up a fight against the single sword she drew.’

‘Frowning slightly as if uncomfortable, she spoke to me.’

‘-…What are you trying to achieve by drawing attention like this? Are you perhaps hoping the enemies will swarm us?’

‘-Stop with the nonsensical talk and get inside. I’ll handle things.’

‘-No matter how I think about it, it’s better to awaken the sleeping dragon.’

‘-Should I make it bigger this time?’

‘-….’

‘Finally letting out a sigh, she eventually turned towards the barracks.’

‘She lifted the entrance flap of the barracks and asked me.’

‘-Young Master Gu, if you get out of here, what will you do?’

‘To the sudden question, I replied as if utterly baffled.’

‘-Have you gotten sentimental over the night or something? Asking such a ridiculous question.’

‘If I were to leave here?’

‘Could I even get out in the first place? Ma-kyung is a place like hell, not meant for harboring hope.’

‘-Never mind me, what do you plan to do?’

‘Nothing came to mind, so I asked back.’

‘Even if I were to return alive from this place, all that awaits me is inheriting the deeply ingrained karma.’

‘So I asked.’

‘What did you want to do?’

‘She, Wi Seol-ah, seemed to ponder my question for a long time before speaking softly.’

‘-I’d like to wander around a bit.’

‘-Wander around? Do it now, then.’

‘At my words, Wi Seol-ah showed a rare expression of contempt.’

‘-I mean I want to wander around places with many people.’

‘-Why would you have such a bothersome dream?’

‘-Well…’

‘Wi Seol-ah laughed. I could sense the exhaustion hidden in her laughter, but I didn’t point it out.’

‘-I wonder… Why would I want to do that.’

‘She looked tired.’

‘As a martial artist who had long surpassed the wall, she couldn’t possibly be physically exhausted.’

‘Watching Wi Seol-ah slowly enter, I turned my head away.’

‘At the time, I wasn’t thinking anything in particular.’

‘I just had to endure today and survive until tomorrow.’

‘Who could have known that time here would stretch on for so long?’

‘Even after time passed and I returned alive, only to lose everything and crawl back here on my own accord.’

‘The memories from this time greatly helped me live in the future.’

‘And this period became one that brought many changes to how I remember you.’

‘Everyone else forgot, but I remember alone, and that is enough.’

‘Therefore, even if I despair over every choice I made, I will not regret them.’

[…The contract is established. Little ember.]

‘I hoped alone that you too would be able to do the same.’

---

‘I was flustered by Namgung Bi-ah’s sudden arrival, but she was as inscrutable as ever, so I just accepted it.’

[What do you mean, ‘accepted it’? My heart was storming when you said you missed me.]

‘I was just momentarily flustered.’

[Oh, I’m sure. That’s why you blurted out that dog-crap suggestion about eating.]

‘…Noya, you’re becoming quite petty.’

‘Right after we ate, Namgung Bi-ah, as if she had been waiting, started taking a nap in my room.’

‘Seriously, why are you sleeping in my room?’

‘She even casually took out my blanket, spread it out, and fell asleep with a snore.’

‘Unni must be really tired.’

‘That’s not the issue… Never mind.’

‘It would only be a disadvantage to me if I argued, so I let her sleep for now.’

‘With the uninvited guest here, my training had to stop midway.’

‘Because of that, it became a bit awkward to resume my training.’

‘And above all else. For some reason, Wi Seol-ah’s dejected expression also bothered me.’

‘Want some Yakgwa?’

‘I casually tried to talk to her.’

‘No…’

‘She refused the Yakgwa. And not just that, she refused firmly. This was a serious problem.’

‘In this emergency situation, hundreds of thoughts raced through my mind, but…’

‘…there weren’t many methods I could actually use.’

‘In the end, I had no choice but to ask directly.’

‘Why the long face?’

‘…It’s just, things aren’t going well.’

‘What things?’

‘Various things…’

‘I had rarely seen Wi Seol-ah looking so slumped over.’

‘Lately, she had been showing dejected moods frequently, though I wasn’t sure why.’

‘It was partly because I hadn’t been paying enough attention, but…’

‘…seeing her cheeks getting thinner, I couldn’t help but worry.’

‘Seeing her slumped shoulders, I pondered for a moment before speaking.’

‘Let’s go out.’

‘Huh?’

‘At my words, Wi Seol-ah looked at me as if asking what I meant.’

‘Let’s go for a walk, just for a bit.’

‘Only then did Wi Seol-ah’s eyes widen, as if she understood the meaning of my words.’

‘Hong-wa unni told me to buy something delicious when I come.’

‘Oh really?’

‘Yes, so I plan to buy quite a lot!’

‘A lot… Alright, let’s buy a lot.’

‘I pulled Wi Seol-ah along and came out to the Hyuns.’

‘I wondered if I should inform Mu-yeon, but for now, I just left.’

‘I had already surpassed the level where I needed escorting.’

‘Young Master, where are we going?’

‘Just planning to wander around a bit.’

‘Really!?’

‘Seeing her excited expression, I felt relieved that my method seemed to have worked.’

[Did you get enough rest?]

‘I gave a wry smile at Noya’s question.’

‘Rest.’

‘Not enough.’

‘The purification of demonic energy was still ongoing, and I was in the process of consolidating my power, so it was best to keep moving during this interval, but…’

‘Young Master! Over there!’

‘Where.’

‘Skewers!’

‘…Sure, you can eat them, but let’s finish what’s in your hands first.’

‘Watching the excited Wi Seol-ah, I thought.’

‘Taking a day off shouldn’t hurt.’

‘Especially since my schedule ahead is tight.’

‘I even tried waking Namgung Bi-ah, who was napping, but she half-opened her eyes, pondered for a moment, wrapped herself in my blanket, and fell back asleep.’

‘It seemed sleep was her priority.’

‘I watched Wi Seol-ah happily trotting around.’

‘Wi Seol-ah’s face, full of smiles, felt unfamiliar every time I saw it.’

[That little child, the hope of the future.]

‘Even Shin Noya, who had seen my memories, uttered it as if in doubt, but that was reality.’

‘Young Master! Let’s eat this together!’

‘She came over, smiling brightly, holding a fruit I didn’t recognize.’

‘Realizing I should pay, I reached for my wallet, but Wi Seol-ah proudly announced.’

‘I bought it!’

‘What? How?’

‘Huh? I just bought it…?’

‘She took out a small pouch from her clothes and showed it to me.’

‘Checking inside the pouch, I saw it really contained money.’

‘Come to think of it, Wi Seol-ah’s status is a servant, so she would receive wages.’

‘For her to confidently buy something, when she wouldn’t even pay for Yakgwa…’

‘She’s changed a lot without me noticing.’

‘It was something she should have been doing long ago, but it was still surprising, given Wi Seol-ah’s lack of common sense for her age.’

‘Eat this.’

‘I took the fruit Wi Seol-ah offered and took a bite.’

‘The sourness that filled my mouth the moment it entered made me frown involuntarily.’

‘Seeing that, Wi Seol-ah giggled.’

‘Is it funny…?’

‘Your face is so funny, Young Master.’

‘That’s an insult, right? I’m pretty sure that’s an insult.’

‘Wi Seol-ah never denied it. This kid…’

‘We wandered around the Hyuns, chatting companionably.’

‘For me, it had been quite a long time since I’d last been here.’

‘I hadn’t come here since leaving the Hwasan Sect, nor after returning.’

‘So, something that surprised me was…’

‘Oh my, Seol-ah, you’re here?’

‘Hello!’

‘You’re here after a while this time? How about your Unni?’

‘Unni is busy. Please give me just this one!’

‘Oh my, Seol-ah?’

‘The fact that many people in the Hyuns recognized Wi Seol-ah.’

‘Had she come out with the other servants often while I wasn’t aware?’

‘I suspected the ‘Unni’ she referred to might be Hong-wa.’

‘If that’s the case, did Sword Master permit this?’

‘Otherwise, she couldn’t possibly have come out to the Hyuns.’

‘It made sense that Wi Seol-ah could move around so freely.’

‘The world of the Hyuns presented a facade of peace, but it wasn’t peaceful enough for someone with her looks to run around carelessly.’

‘It wasn’t that I was trying to force Namgung Bi-ah or Wi Seol-ah to wear veils just to avoid troublesome matters.’

‘Young Master.’

‘…!’

‘Wi Seol-ah had come right up in front of me, startling me for a moment.’

‘Even though I was lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed her approaching so close.’

‘I asked, trying hard to hide my surprise.’

‘…Why?’

‘Everyone calls you Young Master.’

‘Hm?’

‘Soyeol unni did. Bi-ah unni didn’t seem to, though.’

‘Most people do call me that.’

‘After all, one can’t just start speaking informally.’

‘Well…’

‘Because our statuses and positions are different. That was the simplest explanation, but…’

‘It’s like…’

‘It was a difficult thing to say out loud.’

‘Especially since Wi Seol-ah couldn’t remain a servant forever.’

‘Then, Wi Seol-ah playfully blurted out.’

‘Young Master Gu.’

‘As if she wanted to try it herself.’

‘I couldn’t help but freeze at the sudden words.’

‘-Young Master Gu.’

‘Because a damned memory surfaced.’

‘With a more mature face than Wi Seol-ah now.’

‘With a slightly different expression.’

‘And the way she spoke to me in an even deeper voice overlapped naturally.’

‘Her appearance, speaking like that in a completely different situation from now, was exceptionally vivid.’

‘Had my expression become very strange? Wi Seol-ah looked slightly intimidated.’

‘I guess it doesn’t suit me…’

‘Only after seeing Wi Seol-ah put on a dejected face did I finally snap back to reality.’

‘Doesn’t suit you? What are you talking about.’

‘Tang unni and Bi-ah unni are pretty, so it would suit them, but maybe it looks strange when I do it… Your face was ugly, Young Master.’

‘Hey, ‘ugly’?…’

‘Words delivered with pure innocence always strike right at the heart.’

‘Anyway, could that be the reason for her dejection? From my perspective, that couldn’t be the only reason.’

‘Putting everything else aside, when it comes to looks, you too….’

‘Hm?’

‘You too….’

‘The words got stuck in my throat.’

‘I was trying to say ‘you’re pretty too,’ but…’

‘Why were such simple words getting stuck like I’d bitten into a rock?’

‘Meanwhile, Wi Seol-ah seemed to guess what I was trying to say, a playful glint in her eyes.’

‘Why? What is it?’

‘…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?’

‘No, Seol-ah knows nothing.’

‘I was sure of it.’

‘She must have learned only bad things somewhere while I wasn’t looking.’

‘If you don’t tell me quickly, I’ll report everything.’

‘Report what? What is there to report?’

‘Last time, when you ran away because you found it bothersome that Elder Rhyun was looking for you….’

‘Pretty.’

‘At my half-forced exclamation, Wi Seol-ah grinned.’

‘Her face, now lacking even the slight baby fat it had, was gradually regaining its appearance from her past life.’

‘Her appearance grew more radiant each day, and with her frequent smiles, she exuded charm in every direction.’

‘…You.’

‘Was her dejected act perhaps intentional?’

‘If that were the case, it seemed like behavior quite unlike Wi Seol-ah.’

[You don’t understand. That child is much more cunning than you think.]

‘Not more like a bear or a dog?’

‘Wi Seol-ah, a fox? It didn’t seem to fit, considering her past life too.’

‘Perhaps sensing my thoughts, Shin Noya scoffed.’

[Kid, if you ask me, you’d be better off replacing your eyeballs first.]

‘Putting Noya’s words aside, Wi Seol-ah seemed to have cheered up quickly.’

‘I’m fine now!’

‘She said, smiling broadly, and walked ahead.’

‘Could just two words, ‘pretty,’ make her this happy?’

‘It was a warm yet complicated feeling.’

‘It’s heavy.’

‘The feelings that child holds for me. And the feelings I will come to hold for that child.’

‘And yet.’

‘I couldn’t let go now. It’s precisely because I hated that possibility that I’ve been living so desperately.’

‘You’ll fall if you run like that.’

‘If I fall, you’ll pick me up, Young Master.’

‘Her words, spoken like she was the sun itself, often made me stop in my tracks.’

‘-If I fall, you just need to pick me up.’

‘Is it my imagination?’

‘You now, saying the same words as you back then.’

‘-So it’s alright.’

‘That’s why it’s okay!’

“…”

‘It felt like she was telling me not to forget, making my heart ache.’

‘As expected, Wi Seol-ah, who had been running around excitedly for a while, soon tripped over a rock and fell.’

‘Yikes!’

‘She fell face-first, letting out a strange sound.’

‘As I rushed over in alarm, I was surprised to see she had protected the food she was holding.’

‘I told you not to run like that.’

‘As I offered my hand with a chuckle, Wi Seol-ah took it and got up.’

‘Oh no… it’s all covered in dust….’

‘That’s right. Hong-wa will be mad if she sees.’

‘…Oh…!’

‘Seeing the look on her face, as if facing the biggest problem, made me laugh out loud.’

‘I’ll cover for you.’

‘Young Master… You covered for me last time, but then you reported everything!’

‘…Busted.’

‘How did she know…? I definitely reported it secretly.’

‘That’s so unfair….’

‘She said it resentfully, but hugged the food she was holding tighter.’

‘How could this possibly be a fox?’

‘Since I’m upset, can I buy one more….’

‘No.’

‘Seeing Wi Seol-ah’s eyes widen in shock at my firm refusal made me laugh out loud again.’

‘In the end, I bought the food Wi Seol-ah had wanted.’

‘When we returned to the Sega, the last food bought was dumplings, which she apparently intended for me.’

‘We shared the dumplings before dinner, the three of us including Namgung Bi-ah, who was groggy after waking up.’

‘For reference, Wi Seol-ah was caught by Hong-wa for dirtying her clothes and got scolded.’

‘She sent me a look asking for help, but since she’d been caught, I pretended not to notice as there was nothing I could do.’

‘Wi Seol-ah’s betrayed expression at that moment was cute and memorable.’

---

‘Seven days and nights passed in the blink of an eye, and the day to head to the Yongbong Conference arrived.’

‘It was something I had planned for, and I had set the schedule quite firmly, but…’

‘…one unexpected thing happened.’

‘Near the carriages where many people had gathered.’

‘A boy, who seemed a head taller than me, with a sharp, handsome appearance, stood before me.’

‘Tang Soyeol next to me was inexplicably glaring at the boy, but Tang Soyeol’s gentle appearance didn’t lend much intimidation to the scene.’

‘In this situation, I asked him in disbelief.’

‘…So.’

‘Yes….’

‘Not just me, but the boy also didn’t seem pleased, his expression sour.’

‘However, his body seemed tense, as if under strict discipline.’

‘You’re coming with us?’

‘At my question, the boy flinched.’

‘At the boy’s response, I let out a deep sigh.’

‘Before me stood Iljangro’s grandson, once hailed as a genius by the Guseon Gate.’

‘…Please take care of me.’