Ch.13847. The Phoenix Clan (2)

The two of them re-entered the castle where the red dragon had appeared.

Just like when they first entered, the guards didn’t recognize them. But the atmosphere inside the castle was completely different from yesterday.

The soldiers who had been preparing for battle against the red dragon were hardly visible. And at midday, the metropolis within the castle walls was full of vitality.

Since this was a space created from memories, it seemed that Hong-ok’s will had recreated this ancient castle as it was in peaceful times.

“Before the red dragon’s resurrection, the Dansi Castle was peaceful as you can see. And being the capital of the great nation, it was extremely prosperous.”

Seohwa hummed a tune, gently swinging my hand that she was holding.

The atmosphere was like visiting a bustling marketplace together. No, to the current Seohwa, this probably felt no different from a date.

I couldn’t help but smile seeing her happy, but…

Before coming here, what she had told me was actually circling in my mind. I kept thinking about Seohwa’s words.

‘Yu Jahyun. The head of the Vermilion Bird clan.’

Before telling me about Yu Jahyun in detail, Seohwa first told me about the Evil God.

‘The origin of the red dragon we saw yesterday has been an Evil God that existed since the ancient times of Ailetan.’

The Evil God was literally close to being a deity. A being with such evil power that even today’s great demons would fear it.

The ancient people of Ailetan who faced this Evil God were prepared for extinction.

But there were four clans that ultimately defeated the Evil God. Clans that worshipped and used the powers of the Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, and White Tiger.

‘And those clans joined forces to drive the Evil God from the earth…’

Like a distant myth from the ancient Egyptian empire.

According to Seohwa, the Evil God disappeared a thousand years ago from this place where we now stood—the present Eastern Empire.

But in the long battle against the Evil God, the other three clans naturally declined.

And although the Evil God was destroyed, the residual evil will and magical energy coalesced to create another monster—the red dragon.

‘Though it was said to be insignificant compared to the Evil God…’

The mere existence of the red dragon was a natural disaster for humanity in Ailetan. And the red dragon, derived from the Evil God, couldn’t be completely destroyed.

Only the Vermilion Bird clan, the last remaining clan, continued to defeat the red dragon using all the power of their family.

But that battle, spanning hundreds of years, eventually faced a major crisis.

‘That red dragon from last night.’

The red dragon that fought against Yu Jahyun, my past life. That monster had regained the power of its origin, the Evil God.

So Yu Jahyun, as the head of the Vermilion Bird clan, sacrificed all the clan’s power and his own life to face the red dragon.

‘Seohwa said she was from a branch family of the clan.’

She explained that the direct lineage, like Yu Jahyun, became warriors, while branch families like Seohwa took on roles as shamans or priests. And I heard about his end from Seohwa.

Yu Jahyun successfully defeated the red dragon by releasing all the sealed power of the Vermilion Bird passed down to the direct lineage.

But having used all his power, Yu Jahyun died a few days later.

‘Right by Seohwa’s side…’

It was exactly the scene I had seen in my memory recently. In this space, I could recall at least some memories of my past life.

Seohwa also told me about that seal.

While I was thinking about the seal, I stopped in place as Seohwa pulled my hand.

“…Gaga!! Are you listening?”

“Huh? I was just thinking about something else…”

“You weren’t thinking about another woman while I’m right here, were you? Like that Yeon Soso woman you’ve been getting along with recently! If so, I…”

To Seohwa, who was pouting, I somewhat defensively replied:

“It’s not like that.”

Then Seohwa smiled brightly and said:

“Really? Then shall we stop by here for a moment?”

I nodded at her words.

***

In the middle of the main street of this massive ancient empire castle, which Seohwa called Dansi Castle.

Seohwa and I stood in front of a confectionery shop on that main street. It was a store selling all kinds of snacks, including sweets and fruits.

“I’ll leave the money here!”

Seohwa said playfully, placing coins in front of the shop clerk. Of course, even though they appeared human, they were just background memories, so the clerk didn’t recognize Seohwa or me at all.

But with the Vermilion Bird’s power, Seohwa could manipulate parts of this memory.

“Gaga, hurry and eat yours too!”

I took the stick-shaped confection Seohwa handed me. Surprisingly, I could taste it. Then Seohwa pulled out another stick from a container next to where the sweets were displayed.

“And this is…”

Seohwa whispered in my ear with a mischievous expression.

“A divination stick to see the compatibility between lovers. When I was alive, this shop was famous for its accurate divinations. Hehe.”

“How can you, a shaman, believe in such street divinations?”

“So what! Even the Vermilion Bird can’t know everything in the world. Now hurry and draw one!”

Reluctantly, I drew a divination stick. Seohwa quickly snatched it from me and interpreted the divination by looking at a wooden board placed next to the container.

“Unbelievable! It says Gaga and I are destined soulmates! And our lucky color is red! This is totally talking about me, isn’t it?”

Saying that, Seohwa tightly linked her arm with mine.

“If you had a connection with those other women from Flame, this color wouldn’t have appeared! If you really had a connection with those annoying women, it would have been white, black, or pink. Don’t you think?”

Seohwa seemed more jealous than she appeared. So absorbed in her own words, she didn’t even notice her chest pressing against my arm and torso.

‘She seems a bit scatterbrained.’

In reality, such divinations or sweets couldn’t interact with us, so the divination must be an illusion created by Seohwa herself.

It seemed that Seohwa wanted to freely do things in this space that she couldn’t do when staying by my side as a Gear and Mana Heart.

Now we walked with her arm openly linked with mine. Seohwa didn’t stop talking the entire time we walked.

The two of us walked until we reached a small stream flowing through the castle.

We sat together on rocks near the stream. Seohwa leaned against me, silently watching the flowing water. Then she spoke:

“If I could stay like this with Gaga forever, just the two of us, I would be the happiest woman in the world.”

I remained silent. I had already asked Seohwa about what happened to her after my past life, Yu Jahyun, died.

Seohwa, who desperately missed my past self, didn’t live even ten more years. And Seohwa chose to become the Vermilion Bird’s egg herself.

As the Vermilion Bird’s shaman, Seohwa directly asked the Vermilion Bird.

For a way to reunite with my past self who had already died. And the only method revealed by the Vermilion Bird’s oracle was for Seohwa to seal herself in the Vermilion Bird’s egg for thousands of years.

“I dreamed for thousands of years in that egg. Dreams of reuniting with Gaga like this.”

And as the Vermilion Bird’s oracle foretold, after those thousands of years, Seohwa met me again like this. But Seohwa’s expression, which had been smiling with utmost happiness until just now, darkened.

“But once we leave this memory space, the time I can spend with Gaga will be extremely short.”

As Seohwa said, in reality, I am terminally ill. Even that short remaining life is barely being held together by the Vermilion Bird’s egg—by Seohwa who has become Hong-ok.

“And Gaga will use that short time for other women… for other people…”

Seohwa’s voice trailed off. She was starting to sob with emotion.

As Seohwa said, I needed to use my remaining time for those who must be the Sages of the East.

Yuri, Soso, and Arini. I needed to find the Incantation Epitheas with those three. That task was absolutely necessary to prevent the world’s destruction, but…

It was cruel to Seohwa, who had just reunited with me. Stopping the Red Lake would ultimately mean sacrificing my life.

‘Following my past life… am I going to cause Seohwa sorrow again?’

I pulled the crying Seohwa into my arms. She seemed terribly pitiful, and I felt indescribably sorry for her.

But I still hadn’t forgotten what I needed to do.

What I absolutely needed to do in this space—this dimension created by Seohwa’s memories and the Vermilion Bird’s power.

Last night, Yu Jahyun, who released all the Vermilion Bird’s power. I needed to obtain the true Vermilion Bird’s fire that he used to defeat the red dragon.

In that battle that lasted through the night, Yu Jahyun released the Vermilion Bird’s fire by breaking the seal.

And now, I too had five seals in my Mana Heart.

‘Three seals have been broken so far.’

The being who created those seals was Hong-ok—in other words, Seohwa. So I needed to ask Seohwa about the truth of the seals.

‘Since Seohwa hasn’t told me everything about the seals yet.’

I could easily guess why. Breaking all those seals would allow me to use immense power, but at the same time, I would soon die like Yu Jahyun.

I’ve spent considerable time with her as the Ancient Gear, Hong-ok. So Seohwa must know my personality very well.

That I would definitely break those seals.

So even if I already suspected something about those seals, Seohwa wouldn’t want to talk about them herself.

‘Yes. At least for today.’

After waiting thousands of years, Seohwa had finally reunited with me. The Yu Jahyun she had been waiting for was ultimately me.

Just from watching Yu Jahyun’s battle with the red dragon, I could tell. Yu Jahyun’s personality seemed similar to mine.

‘Even his way of thinking.’

His combat methods and small habits were all similar to mine.

Perhaps if we had more time in this space, I might recall all of Yu Jahyun’s memories.

‘No. None of that is necessary. For now, memories of Seohwa and… memories of the Evil God would be enough.’

And with the emotions of my past life, I wanted to repay Seohwa who had waited for me for thousands of years. Even if just for a very short time.

‘After that, it would be enough to obtain the true Vermilion Bird’s fire.’

I was sure of it. Perhaps the repayment I could give to Seohwa would also be necessary to get clues about the seal.

I said to her:

“Seohwa. I have something to say…”

“If it’s about that seal, I can’t tell you!”

Just as I expected, Seohwa cried out tearfully. I wiped her tears with my thumb and said:

“Not that. For now, shall we go back to that place from back then?”

“That place…”

“To the temple where my past self died. I’d like to spend the night there.”

Seohwa opened her eyes wide, then nodded vigorously.