Chapter 135: Way of Mourning Part 6

A week has passed.

It was a tiring week that began with ghosts and ended with rebellion.

The very next day after that week ended, the main players of this incident were peacefully resting in the VIP rooms of the Gyeomgye Royal University Hospital, snoring away in much-needed relaxation.

‘How long has it been since they could rest so securely without worrying about an attack?’

“Zzzz… Phew…”

Sonia was lazily snoring with her belly exposed.

“Mm.”

Cassie was enjoying a comfortable sleep in her bed for the first time in a while.

Rustle.

“Ah, morning prayer.”

Even amidst all this, Amon did not miss his morning prayer.

Getting up, Amon checked the time.

4:30 AM.

He had enough time to freshen up in about 30 minutes.

After quickly refreshing himself, Amon headed toward the prayer room located in the basement of the hospital.

As always, after finishing the early morning service at 5:30 AM, the outside was still dark.

The sun had not risen yet, and the moon had already set beyond the horizon, making it the darkest time of day.

Sniff.

Amon sniffed the morning air and headed back to his room.

Then, he noticed a faint light slipping through the crack of Sunhwa’s hospital room door.

‘Is she not sleeping?’

He pressed his ear against the door, driven by a subtle curiosity and worry.

Although he knew it was rude, he couldn’t help but worry after the serious injury she had sustained the day before.

Just as he pressed his ear to the door, he heard a hoarse voice from inside.

“Come in. It’s open.”

Amon jumped back in surprise, quickly removing his hand from the door.

After calming his startled heart, he headed toward Sunhwa, who was waiting inside.

“How did you know?”

When Amon opened the door, Sunhwa was leaning against the window, just like when they first met.

Instead of embracing her posture, she had placed a short sword on her lap.

Her left eye, free from any hair covering it, was clean and unmarred, locking eyes with Amon.

“The sound of the crickets in the hallway changed.”

“You can tell that?”

“I need to know if I don’t want to be assassinated by my comrades.”

“Even the sword system is tough.”

“It was the leader who taught us how to survive.”

As she spoke, she pulled out the short sword that the leader had left for her from its sheath.

Under the hospital room’s light, the blade reflected the light.

Even in the midst of battle, the sword remained sharp.

Amon felt a sense of discomfort from the sword.

“That…”

“Yeah. It’s a yodo. Both this and the taedo.”

Amon recalled the other sword she had been using.

He couldn’t see the taedo anywhere.

However, when he focused his gaze, he could see a translucent taedo at her waist, bound to her soul.

Even then, Amon didn’t panic or react strongly.

‘It’s not a yodo?’

Unlike when she had once enchanted him, the sword wasn’t sinking into her body or eroding it.

Instead, the sword and her soul were simply connected.

Amon was familiar with this phenomenon.

‘Binding.’

It was a phenomenon he had often seen with Sonia’s bracelet.

As Amon was starting to doubt the essence, Sunhwa summoned the taedo and rested it on her shoulder, confirming his suspicion.

Like Sonia’s bracelet, the sword was being summoned freely, and Amon was certain now.

‘It’s covered in essence.’

He didn’t understand the principle behind it.

He had never heard of essence being absorbed directly without dropping it.

It was even rarer for two swords to be imbued with essence.

But since Amon wasn’t a scholar, he focused on the practical outcome rather than analyzing the cause of the situation.

“So, what ability does it give?”

“You’re not surprised.”

“It’s not a yodo.”

“You’re saying this isn’t a yodo?”

“Have you ever heard of essence?”

“So this is…?”

Amon nodded.

She had never guessed this fact since she had never been to a dungeon.

“That’s amazing. I was trying to think of how to use these swords in my head. Is that the power of essence?”

Amon nodded and lightly struck the air twice with his hand.

“I always did that too.”

“Then this…?”

Seeing this, she pushed the sword sheath with her fingertip, slightly revealing the blade.

The shyly revealed blade glowed with a blue light.

“The taedo accumulates.”

Then, when she completely drew the short sword from her lap, it began to emit a red glow.

“The yodo releases.”

According to her, the more the taedo blocked an enemy’s attack, the more power it accumulated, and with the yodo, that energy could be released.

“Was that why it was a set?”

Amon gave a pure, admiring expression at the unusual combination.

***

After finishing her explanation, she resummoned her short sword and, holding it carefully, spoke.

“I’m relieved.”

“Was it a worry about the urinary tract infection?”

“Yeah. I was worried if that strange thing might have entered me. If that were the case… I was going to tell you to cut me down while I was still sane.”

“Is asking to cut someone down in a hospital something you should ask for?”

“Better than giving birth to a ghost that cuts people in a hospital, right?”

“Don’t worry about that. Even if it happens, I’ll save you like last time.”

“Do you… never mind. I don’t think you did that on purpose.”

“???”

While Amon tilted his head in confusion, he loosened his grip on the short sword, seemingly regaining his composure, and took out a pipe from his pocket.

“One hit?”

Amon shook his head.

Sunhwa chuckled and lit the pipe.

Amon thought about pointing out that the hospital room was a non-smoking area, but decided to let it slide, considering it was for a hero who saved the nation.

The smoke slipped through his lips.

As he watched the smoke, his eyes seemed to sink deeper.

‘What is that, is it not tobacco but something like hemp? But it doesn’t smell like hemp…’

While Amon was having that thought, his lips parted.

“The Sword Guild is going to disband now.”

“Now, ‘we’ really have no place to go.”

It would be a bitter thing for the members of the Sword Guild, who had been possessed by ghosts and then found themselves unemployed, but it couldn’t be helped.

The general had pushed a sword to the crown prince, and there was no way that organization could remain.

Thanks to Sunhwa and Sunwoo’s efforts, they avoided the death sentence, but disbandment was inevitable.

Of course, Sunwoo could no longer return to the Sword Guild.

But although he didn’t show it, it seemed his heart was still with them.

“I guess I am like a disaster god after all.”

First his family, then the Sword Guild.

With a self-deprecating smile, he turned his gaze out the window.

Amon quietly watched his profile and then offered a suggestion that had been on his mind.

“A large monster and demon squad. Simon’s saw and rope.”

“What?”

“The Vatican Special Forces, Section 11, Section Chief. I, Amon Perfume Rose, propose this. Please join our cause.”

Sunhwa was surprised by Amon’s polite proposal.

She was first shocked by the name of the organization Amon had mentioned, something she’d never heard of before.

Then, surprised again by the fact that it was Amon who said it, and finally, she was confused as to Amon’s true intentions in recruiting her into such an organization.

She finally managed to regain her composure and asked the reason.

“Why me?”

“Because there’s no reason not to?”

“I don’t exactly go to church.”

“But you’re not a heretic, are you?”

“It sounds like you’re recruiting for some important position in the Vatican, but does it matter if you don’t have faith? Can you just… recruit like that?”

Seeing her flustered, Amon smiled faintly.

“Didn’t you prove it with your actions?”

Amon brought up the incident when Sunhwa removed her outerwear as evidence.

For her, it had been something she did just by going with the flow, but to Amon, it was more than enough.

“Faith? You can learn that from now on.”

“Well, no need to come to early morning prayers or anything.”

Sunhwa ignored Amon’s last joke as she thought about it.

A question passed through her mind.

“Is he a lord worth serving, as you’ve said many times before?”

When she had been in the Sword Guild, the general had always emphasized that.

In the end, because the Sword Guild was about swords, it needed someone to wield the sword and store it in its scabbard.

***

Just a day ago, she had disagreed with that statement.

‘How could a warrior, who venerates the sword and martial arts, be someone who looks for a person to serve?’

She was an independent warrior, and she had never sought someone to dedicate her sword to.

If she were to serve someone, she would have joined the military, not the Sword Guild.

Thus, when the general had asked her that question again, she had answered like this.

“Well, I guess, at least for now, I could be the scabbard for the sword.”

Even though she temporarily joined the organization, she had no intention of serving anyone.

The general, who spoke like that, also had no one he served.

But in this moment, she vaguely understood the meaning behind his words.

A sword that has been taken out of its scabbard for too long will eventually become a monster.

A sword must be controlled by someone.

If not a person, then by rules, or by belief.

Because the Sword Guild had no proper rules or belief, the general had stressed this fact.

Without rules or belief, they had to cling to their thirst for revenge, and in that thirst, they gradually turned into monsters, feeling the loss of their humanity.

Maybe that was the warning the general had given.

Thinking this, it was easy to compare the general with Amon.

Amon wielded his sword with unwavering faith.

Because of that, he was able to avoid becoming a monster like the general.

‘I don’t really need to find a lord.’

‘But at least, shouldn’t there be one principle or rule for wielding my sword?’

In that sense, Amon’s proposal wasn’t so bad.

After some thought, she smiled shyly and nodded.

“Alright. But what about Sunwoo?”

Amon nodded.

“Of course.”

“Then, right here…”

She hopped down from the window frame, ready to kneel before Amon.

Then, she remembered that her feet were badly injured.

Just as her feet were about to touch the ground, she realized.

‘Ah, this is going to hurt so much.’

As she thought this, and just as her feet were about to meet the marble, Amon reached out to her.

Just like the day before, he caught her in a princess carry and gently placed her down on the ground.

“You should be careful. You’re still a patient.”

Amon’s concern seemed insignificant to him.

But that small consideration seemed to touch her differently.

“You… turn on your blinker next time when you enter.”

“What?”

“Never mind. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

With a faint smile, she extended her sword to Amon.