episode_0259

I wasn’t really surprised because I had built up a certain reputation in Heavenly Moon and was called by the imperial palace after going through a major event related to the Demonic Cult. But everyone around me was surprised.

“The imperial palace?!”

“Wow! Awesome!”

Sisters Chae-jin and Chae-ryeon were purely amazed. While they were celebrating, I turned my eyes to Yura.

Going to the imperial palace means going, and you have to say what you have to say.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Cheolhoe Shinchang It’s not like you don’t know the desire to enter Moonwoljeong Women’s Association… but do you know that there are many people who want to enter Moonwoljeong right now?”

“Ah…”

“So, you should take that into account. Last time, a sergeant came from Munwoljeong, and he said that the exam has become more stringent because there are a lot of people who want to enter.”

“Do you also take the entrance exam at Moonwoljeong?”

“There is a test that separates foreign students from internal students. Anyway, give it a try. If I join, you will become my sister-in-law, right? Hehehe. Should I call you sister-in-law later?”

Chaeryeon smiled brightly, imagining her friend calling her sister-in-law. Yura sighed softly at her and spoke in a calm tone.

“Anyway, I also plan to go to Cheongho after this battle is over. Seniors. If you need anything…”

“Ah. doesn’t exist. And although I caught Yu Jang-mok, there was Yuwol in the background, and Hong Seong-mun and Seom Hwaseong had a lot of help. It’s a bit weird to only express gratitude to myself.”

“Yes?”

Chaejin calmly explained the situation.

Starting with how to prepare when a demonic cult attacks, a story about her dragon form.

And I even predicted their attack and prepared it for Seomhwaseong.

Yura, who listened to it for a while, was impressed.

“Oh my god. This is truly amazing. As expected from Seonja Shinsan.”

“Nothing much.”

The current situation of the Demonic Cult, and the enemies related to the event.

Lastly, it was something that anyone could have predicted if they had just a little bit of judgment.

“I think I understand why Sayoon respects and likes the teacher. Hehehe. Whenever I talked to her, stories about teachers always came up.”

Sayoon followed me well even when he didn’t know I was his uncle.

But now that she found out I was an old man, it was natural for her to cling to me.

I’m not particularly offended either.

ah. Who wouldn’t like it when your favorite character always follows you around?

“Anyway, you are going to the imperial palace… Even if you take the official route, it will be a long journey that will take two weeks.”

“I guess so. Anyway, I have to go to the government office first, so take a break. By the way, don’t you have to go back to the battlefield?”

“That’s right. I plan to take a day off today and return immediately tomorrow.”

I can’t believe I came here in person to express my gratitude and my intention to enter Munwoljeong.

People are so honest.

I will become a good friend to Sayoon.

I said to Chae-jin as I watched her and Chae-ryun go out holding hands.

“Let’s go too.”

When I went to the government office, Seongju was waiting for me. No matter how much he had been through, he seemed quite nervous about contact from the imperial family.

“Could it be that they think you are a dangerous person and are calling you here to test you?”

The governor of Seongju was worried that the imperial family would keep a check on me, who had recently built up a terrible reputation, and designate me as a dangerous person.

Why is that there? Just as King Seonjo kept Yi Sun-sin in check during the Japanese invasions of Korea.

“Probably not.”

“Is that so? I guess so? Please say yes.”

“Yes.”

He was anxious, and then he put the order on the table and sighed.

“Anyway, I need to prepare to go to the capital by next month.”

“Yes. Right?”

“Who do you plan on going with?”

“Hmm…”

First of all, Yu Jang-mok has been captured, and the Demonic Church will not be able to move because they are currently fighting tooth and nail with the military and the Murim Alliance.

Since there are no special movements on the Black Lotus side, it would be better to take everyone who wants to go.

I looked at Chaejin and she nodded as if it was obvious.

“I’ll go with you. Because there are definitely people targeting you.”

“Thank you.”

“What~.”

“If Chae Yeo-hyeop goes with us, there will be no problem with escorting. So, are you going to take only Chae Yeo-hyeop with you? It seems to me that Geomseong and Nakilseonggeom will also follow suit, right?”

I guess so. I smiled and nodded, and Seongju sighed bitterly.

“It will be a situation where Island Hwaseong’s power is greatly depleted, but we still can’t catch people who want to go.”

“Still, the old Thunder Sword King will be here for the time being. So, there won’t be a big problem.”

The reason Nangong Cheon stays here is to reduce his reputation and not put a burden on the Nangong family, but he is not a person with an evil nature.

In other words, if something big enough to cause a problem for the island castle happens, he will step in, so don’t worry.

“Hong Seong-moon’s disciples will remain, and Chae-ryeon and Wolgwangdae members will also remain. Even if something happens, we can respond.”

“I see… I understand. ah. And I’ll prepare the carriage, so let me know whenever it’s time to leave.”

“Okay.”

After speaking with the Lord of Seong, I left the government office and headed straight to Hongseong Gate. While going up the stairs of Hongseongsan Mountain, Chaejin spoke with a serious expression.

“But like Seongju said, something like that won’t happen, right?”

“I guess so. Let’s not take it too seriously.”

I smiled at Chaejin, and she smiled at me as if she felt relieved.

When I entered Hongseongmun and told Geomseong and Hongryeon that I was going to the imperial palace, Hongryeon grinned.

“Good. I’ll go too.”

“I thought you would say that. Then, for the Sword Saint… Hmm?”

Geomseong became more serious. When I was puzzled and Hongryeon and Chaejin also had questions, she smiled awkwardly and hesitated.

“Ah, ahaha. That, that.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Uhm… I don’t have a very good relationship with the imperial family.”

“Huh?”

Me, Hongryeon, and Chaejin couldn’t help but have doubts.

Are there any warriors other than the Demonic Cult who do not have a good relationship with the imperial family?

When I asked for an answer, Geomseong sighed softly.

“Well, it happened a long time ago. I was once invited to the imperial palace.”

“Yes. I heard something like that happens. uh. Did you by any chance kill a member of the royal family at that time?”

“I didn’t kill you!”

“…So you did hit him.”

“…He was a bit rude.”

“Wow… of course he’s a swordsman! Do something that no one can do, calmly! I shudder at that! I come to admire you!”

As Chaejin spoke with an exclamation, Geomseong laughed awkwardly.

“Ha. haha. What a compliment… Anyway, that’s why the palace doesn’t like me that much… I wonder if I can go.”

“What did that royal family do?”

“Umm… That. I said that Hongseong Shingong is a martial art of evil spirits. I admit that Hongseong Shingong is strong, but the disciple went crazy and even killed Jang Mun-in and the other disciples. I wonder if such a dangerous person can enter the imperial palace…”

Thunder Sword King, apprentice. Even the two superhumans treated the old swordsman like a bastard… and insulted Hongseong Shingong to her?

Just by not killing him, Geomseong showed the utmost respect to the imperial family.

“…You didn’t kill it?”

Hongryeon and Chaejin were dumbfounded, and Geomseong spoke softly with a humble expression.

“Actually, I almost killed him, but the Doge and the Lightning Sword King stopped him.”

“Haha…”

“The imperial family told me not to worry about it… but anyway, I beat up the emperor’s younger brother like that… so it’s bound to be awkward with them.”

“There hasn’t been much from the imperial family since then?”

“Um.”

It is said that although he beat the royal family member almost to the point of death, the imperial family did not blame the swordsman, perhaps because the mistake was made by the royal family member.

“If you haven’t said anything until now, it may be that the imperial family was hoping for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Being the emperor’s younger brother poses a great risk to the crown prince succeeding to the throne. How many years ago was this?”

“About ten years ago…?”

“Because the current crown prince is in his early twenties. I must have been in my early teens by then. It’s a time when you have to have a lot of authority, and it’s even more so when you consider the special nature of His Majesty’s younger brother. Anyway, it was such a long time ago, but seeing as nothing much has been said so far, it really doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s all about power.”

In order to grab a little bit of power, even siblings and parents and children go to war.

Therefore, it would not be a bad thing from the emperor and crown prince’s point of view to destroy the wilderness like that, which would interfere with the concentration of power in the current crown prince.

Even more so if the problem was something the wilderness provided.

“But what happened to that wilderness?”

“Well. I only heard that I needed to be recuperated to the point where I couldn’t move for several years, but I haven’t heard anything else since.”

That would have been enough for the forces that followed the wilderness to disintegrate or be absorbed into the crown prince.

“Did the imperial family say nothing?”

“Uh… some time later, I gave support money to Hong Seong-moon. I’m sending it as a token of gratitude. And I was given the honorary title of Hwangseong Sword Master and Hwangseong Sword Master.”

Hwangseong Geomju is an official position that I also know. It was an honorary position meaning that he was a swordsman who protected the imperial family.

If you held that official position, you could proudly sit at the head of any government office, use the government service for free, and purchase goods at half price at the merchant house run by the imperial family.

Although it was beneficial in many ways, it would not have had much meaning to the swordsman at the time.

In the first place, if you become a swordsman, you will receive preferential treatment wherever you go, and most of the imperial goods are luxury goods. Would Geomseong buy luxury goods in a situation where it is difficult to run a clan right now?

Additionally, the Imperial Chamber of Commerce is located only in the capital, so you can’t use it.

“And I said that there is no need to worry as long as you are not an enemy of the imperial family. hmm. But what I did was what I did…”

If the imperial family said that, there really is no problem.

Since he had lived a life unrelated to the imperial family up until now, he probably didn’t care, but Geomseong hesitated, perhaps because it bothered him that he had to go to the capital again.

Well then, I guess I’ll have to look into this in more detail.

“…I’m worried that I might be holding you back for no reason.”

As I saw Geomseong looking at me, I hugged her.

“Eh?!”

“There is no need to grab your ankle, and it doesn’t matter even if you do. How can someone who can’t even solve a problem like this say that he accepts superhumans as companions?”

“Howuu…”

Geomseong, who was shivering in my arms, fell limp as if melting. I sat her down on the chair, and when I felt eyes on me from behind, I opened my arms and hugged them both once.

After returning from Hongseongmun and doing some work, I went downstairs and found Namgungcheon drinking alone.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Thank you.”

“What is gratitude?”

He offered me a drink with a leisurely smile and grinned when I sat down.

“Why is your expression like that?”

“Ah. I have something to think about. And I plan to visit the imperial palace around next week.”

“Imperial Palace? ah. Well, it’s worth going for you. Because there are things I have done so far.”

“I see. Do you know much about the imperial palace?”

“What… roughly?”

“About the wilderness where you were hit by the Sword Saint in the past…?”

“Haha. that? Actually, if you look at the content itself, there is nothing special about it. Because I gave a rude guy a real education. However, the problem is that the rude guy’s status is wilderness… but this is also nothing to worry about. Even the imperial family doesn’t pay much attention to him. Because he died in an ‘unfortunate accident.’”

After taking a sip of his drink, he put the glass down. At that moment, a miracle unfolds around us. What I’m talking about from now on is confidential.

I poured alcohol into his glass, and after drinking it, Namgung-cheon spoke calmly.

“This is a secret. Don’t go anywhere and tell me. Even the apprentice doesn’t know about this.”

“Yes.”

“I’m telling you because you are mine.”

He was condescending, but after taking a sip of his drink, he spoke seriously.

“That guy was preparing a rebellion.”

uh? really?

“It may not be that the kid beat him with that intention, but in any case, since the unpleasant incident was suppressed in advance, it is natural that the imperial family would not make an issue of it.”

“But it seems like Geomseong doesn’t know that…”

“Because I didn’t say that. And when I told him that, I was like, ‘So what?’ The only answer that came out was, right? And I have no obligation to tell you that.”

Well, right now, Namgungcheon is the owner of the bathhouse. At that time, the only person interested was Namgungse, so he probably didn’t feel the need to go and tell him.

“Ah.”

“And I understand that the imperial family also sent a government official to that brat. That’s subtly showing that there’s really no problem, so don’t worry.”

“The reason for not officially revealing it was to prevent it because if it was known that the wilderness was trying to start a rebellion, there would be unnecessary conflict and confusion?”

“Exact. Because His Majesty the current Emperor is someone who pursues stability rather than chaos. Of course, I cut off all the heads of the ringleaders and fed their subordinates loneliness so that they would become the crown prince’s people.”

“Hahaha… I see. hmm. But Geomseong was worried.”

“Huh. Now? Besides, even if he had heard about this, he would have been indifferent and ignored it, right?”

“They said it might hold me back…”

Namgungcheon looked at me with a strange expression and shook his head.

“No, what kind of magic trick did you use to make that stupid idiot so calm?”

“That’s right.”