episode_0042

“They really do look alike, they do look alike.”

Old Man Gong muttered as he trudged down the mountain path. The young craftsman was somewhat saddened by the fact that he resembled his old friend, but he was also quite cheerful.

There have always been stubborn people who would throw away their lives for their dreams or for someone precious.

It made me happy to know that I was on that list of precious people, along with a slightly tingling feeling of regret.

“Right, Hyunman?”

It would have been nice if the two had met, the old man thought, but it was too bad.

The hero who had lived the busiest life in the world unfortunately did not remember that his friend had picked up an orphan boy during the 1,000-day battle and that he had named the boy Lee Si-hyuk. It was a very fierce battle, and it was also a story from the distant past.

What if the old man had known that his friend and Shihyuk were teacher and student?

Now it was just a pointless and meaningless what-if.

Soon, the old hero will die.

Old Man Gong’s steps gradually became slower and heavier. His hair stood on end and his feet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds as he stepped on the ground. He pretended to be calm, but his body, which had always been strong, became stiff and did not listen to him.

I wanted to take the last step forward with strength and confidence, but I felt like I had no strength left, and my knees were empty. Those old palms were soaked with sweat.

How could an old person not be afraid? Death was definitely a fear for those who set foot on this earth.

No matter how prepared you are, who wouldn’t tremble in front of it, regardless of age and gender?

But I might be able to see my wife soon.

Maybe his son too. And his comrades who were with him.

Thinking like that, Old Man Gong dared to laugh even in the midst of unknown fear.

-.-.-

At first, it was just a sense of duty and responsibility.

The man was an ordinary farmer who had been working on a farm for generations in the countryside of Chuncheon. He met a beautiful woman by chance and inevitably fell in love.

She was an attractive woman who captured the attention of many men. She was a good and wise person, and was always a role model and object of respect to everyone.

What must it have felt like to see the pitiful proposal from a worthless guy who was just digging potatoes reflected in her eyes? He had no way of knowing, but all he remembered was that she was so happy that she accepted his proposal.

However, although heaven gave his wife good looks, wisdom, and even humanity, it did not give her a healthy body.

When my child was thirteen, my wife passed away from illness.

She opened her pale purple lips, which had been beating slowly, and took his hand, saying:

Please, my child. Raise him to be a good person. My dear, you can do it.

I don’t know what my wife believed in and why she said that. A man in despair and despair was just an ordinary idiot compared to my love.

But she believed in him and left him in charge. The man decided to take care of his son so that he would not become a burden to his dead wife.

The man made a promise at some point while playing with his son, eating with him, and watching him sleep, for the sake of his son who experienced separation at an early age.

To my dead wife and son, I will be a father who is not ashamed.

But the man was a fool, Ondal, and his wife was Princess Pyeonggang. It was difficult to become like his wife. The love in his memories, beautifully embellished, gradually faded away.

The man had easily figured out the answer. Then, why didn’t he just follow her? The man began to work harder and limit his actions.

I trained my body to have a sound mind, and I practiced self-cultivation whenever I had free time. I studied by reducing my sleep so as not to be ignorant.

I did my best. Seeing myself like this, I hoped my son would grow up properly and respectfully.

Before he knew it, the man’s shoulders were borne with righteousness, his hands and feet with diligence. His heart was filled with good intentions, his tongue spoke only of justice, and his eyes could not forgive injustice.

What would the son of the man who grew up watching that back have thought? What would have been in his mind?

My son, who had grown up and graduated from a respectable university, volunteered to join the 119 Fire Department. He worked as a paramedic, was sincere in everything he did, and did his best for the underprivileged.

The image of the son, who could not stand injustice and took the lead in doing the right thing, resembled the shadow of a man reflected in the sunset.

One day, upon receiving a commendation from the country, the son said to the man:

My father was my guide.

It was my father who filled the hole in my heart that was left behind by the loss of my mother.

Father, you said you were proud of me, but to me, you are the pride.

As he watched his son awkwardly smiling, perhaps embarrassed by his own lack of speaking skills, even after he had stammered, the man couldn’t remember what expression he had on his face. Was he laughing or crying?

He was that kind of son.

He married a beautiful woman, had children, and built a happy family. The man looked at that and thought that it was time to settle down. He thought that he would be able to close his eyes in peace someday.

…until the Great Rift incident occurred.

father.

The son probably could have lived.

It wouldn’t have been difficult for me to escape. However, I met with disaster while trying to save people in the middle of the city where the hell of Abiguihwan was unfolding.

The son was slowly peeling off from the tips of his toes.

There were not enough people or supplies to treat the patient. Even the place where the man and his son were was a makeshift hospital built in a half-destroyed building. No, in the first place, there was no chance of survival for an ordinary person who had been properly exposed to extradimensional particles.

The man, holding his son’s hand, which was slippery with blood and pus as he lay on the rag-like bed, wished that his dying son would resent this worthless father.

If you live like that, if you teach like that, it won’t work.

But the will the son left to the man was neither resentment nor sadness.

Protect the people.

The son, with his appearance so mangled that it was impossible to tell whether he was a person or a lump of flesh, breathed his last and left those words behind.

[You can do it.]

[Please protect the people.]

My wife with her eyes closed, my son who is growing cold,

It became a yoke, it became life.

It became a shackle, but it also became a goal.

And finally, it became a dream.

The man looked up at the sky and [swore], revealing the blue mana in his body.

‘If there is a god, listen.’

‘I dedicate my entire life, both before and after, and my name and everything I have received from my parents.’

‘I will burn this body to become a righteous shield that protects everyone.’

‘Listen, I have decided so.’

So the man who could no longer call his name threw his hat into the ring.

There were many twists and turns at first.

It was really difficult for an ordinary farmer who was just plowing the field to become a hero. There were times when he achieved valuable victories, but he also suffered many defeats.

But the words of his family who supported him, and at some point his comrades who were with him, were pushing the ordinary man’s back.

That’s how the man became a hero.

Now the man is happy to smile and go meet his people.

My wife, my son, and countless comrades.

I’ll see you soon over there.

-.-.-

Old Man Gong stopped walking at the presence calling out to him.

At the entrance to the mountain, an old woman holding a cane was smiling like a withered flower petal. Her white hair was neatly combed and braided, and she was elegantly dressed in a hanbok. Oddly enough, her two eyes had no irises.

When the old man and the old woman met, they greeted each other warmly with bright smiles on their faces without saying a word.

“Public, long time no see.”

“I don’t know how you found me and came all the way here, but I’m glad to see a familiar face after such a long time. [Taebaek Shinnyeo].”

“Hoohoo, now call me [Samsin].”

“You were always pretty and lovely, but even you couldn’t avoid the passage of time.”

“Of course, I burned my lifeline to catch that devil of Hanbat.”

The old man, who was smiling slightly, continued speaking while poking the cane he was holding into the ground.

“Before my life was over. I made a contract with God. At least when the time comes, I will face the ball.”

“Oh, old times are scary. Who would have thought that the guy who always scolded me and Hyunman whenever I caused trouble would come out to see me off like this?”

“Of course, they were just a bunch of idiots who would kill you, but they were still friends who fought together. No matter how much affection there is, shouldn’t we see them off as comrades going on a long journey?”

Hahaha, the two old men laughed heartily. Gong’s laughter became hazy as if he had remembered the old days. Even in the distant eyes of Samshin, the hazy memories of that day were captured.

“There’s really not much left now.”

“What, they’re all already in the grave, now there are only three at most. And even then there will be two, maybe soon only one.”

“It’s a shame… . But I have no regrets. Still, I’ve seen many young talents with bright futures, so I have no worries. I can step forward without any regrets.”

Samshin, who was casting an unexpected glance at the old man Gong who was somehow smiling cheerfully, lifted the cane he had stuck in the ground and pointed at his old comrade.

A blue aura enveloped the old man Gong.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve received [congratulations].”

“This is the last one. I used up my last remaining string, so now I’m just a regular old lady.”

The old man tried to smile. His face looked somewhat embarrassed and pitiful.

“I’m sorry for showing you such a pitiful sight on your last journey. But even in this shabby state, I wanted to see you again at least once.”

“Not at all! It’s not bad. Does a flower stop being a flower just because some of its petals have fallen?”

“You little brat, you really have honey in your mouth, both then and now. If you were fifty years younger, I would have proposed to you.”

“Hahaha! Sorry, but you have a partner. If you haven’t met your wife, then it’s impossible.”

But if he still hasn’t met his wife, is it the illusion of the three gods that makes it sound like there’s still room for improvement, or is it Gong’s flattery to save her face?

Samshin, who had been laughing, lost her strength and sank to the ground. Gong tried to support her, but stopped. She didn’t want that.

“Take a look.”

“I’m going now.”

Trying to shake off her foolishness, Samshin and [Taebaek Shinnyeo] saw off her comrade on his final journey. Even though she couldn’t see ahead, her footsteps, which remained in her memory, were always strong and firm.

Everyone followed him, looking at his back.

“… Brother.”

“Why are you calling?”

To [Tae Baek Shin Nyeo], who had finally managed to speak in the tone of her old days, [Gong] cooed in the tone of her old days. She felt like she was about to shed tears at the sight of him accepting even this.

“See you again on the other side.”

“Even after death, we will meet again. Us.”

“… Don’t worry, come slowly. I’ll go first.”

The old woman covered her numb eyes with her hands to hide the flowing tears.

It was Jangbu’s future. I couldn’t show tears in a victorious manner.

A person without even a name sets out on a journey late.

Those who went before will remember him,

We will be watching the end of those who joined us above.

I strive to live a noble life,

He was a man who lived for others.

That’s why we called him a hero.

The will was completely blank,

I was a person who couldn’t even write my own name in three letters.

One, looking at his footsteps.

The world has given him many titles.

Everyone was together on the hero’s path.

In England, [The Knight of the Rock].

In Europe, [Dragon Slayer].

In China, [The East is Invincible].

In Japan, it is called [Fudo Myo-o].

In India, [the embodiment of the earth].

[The Greatest Shield] in America.

And, and, and, and… .

Finally, his country bestowed upon him the title of greatest general in history for his contributions to the nation and humanity.

The first, and possibly the last, name in the Republic of Korea.

Everyone unanimously called him [Admiral Yi Sun-shin].

Devil, get out of here.

The greatest general in the world is marching.