Chapter 966: Lost Soul.

From afar, around the time things concerning Shincheol and Yu-sa were progressing.

Things were also unfolding on the park side. A woman, whose arm I’d grabbed, turned around.

She met my eyes.

At the sudden turn of events, both the woman and I fell silent for a moment.

The cold sensation in my hand and the eyes looking at me.

As I looked at it, I involuntarily swallowed.

I had diligently prepared what I wanted to say, but…

Upon facing her directly, my mouth wouldn’t open.

‘Mother.’

My guess was correct.

I knew it the moment I saw her. The woman was definitely my mother.

How could I possibly forget?

Even though tens of years had passed, I hadn’t forgotten her.

I had thought I’d lived my life forgetting her, but seeing her now, she seemed even clearer.

The silence continued.

My hand remained still where I held hers, but I knew I had to say something, somehow.

What should I say?

My mind went blank.

Like thoughts instantly consumed by fire.

“Uhm.”

“…!”

A voice was heard. It was Mother’s.

Her eyes, visible beneath the veil, curved kindly.

“What is it?”

“…”

At her words, pointing to my wrist, I involuntarily let go of her hand.

Thump-! Thump-! My heart pounded.

It was far more intense than before any battle.

What should I say?

Should I discuss my longing? Or should I speak words filled with resentment?

Or maybe…

Even though I tried racking my brain, nothing came to mind.

Still, I had to say something, so I barely managed to speak, looking at Mother.

“…This…”

I took something out from my clothes.

It was a handkerchief.

“You dropped this.”

“Oh my.”

Seeing the handkerchief, Mother received it, holding back a smile.

“When did I drop it?”

Earlier, when I first saw Mother. I had noticed her drop it as she passed by.

I’d picked it up immediately and brought it here. I intended to use it as a pretext to speak to her.

That’s how I tried to confirm things by speaking to her, but…

“Thank you. I didn’t even realize I’d dropped it.”

Mother, having received the handkerchief, simply smiled and thanked me, showing no particular reaction.

Seeing that, I bit my lip slightly.

Was Elder Shin No-ya right?

‘Does she really not recognize me?’

Even though we were making eye contact like this, Mother seemed unable to recognize me.

The feeling that arose from it slightly scraped at my insides.

Perhaps.

‘Is it because of the spell cast on my body?’

The spell I had cast on my body.

It was affecting not only my appearance but my very soul.

Could that be why she doesn’t recognize me?

Would it change if I removed it?

Such thoughts filled my head, but…

‘Hold on.’

I clenched my fists and forced myself to endure.

It was too big a gamble. Didn’t Elder No-ya say…?

‘My mother doesn’t know me now, and worse, it’s a dangerous situation if I’m discovered.’

‘He said dragons are targets for extermination.’

‘The very existence of dragons shouldn’t be allowed.’

He said if they found me, they might kill me on the spot.

‘In such a situation…’

‘I’m here like a madman.’

Even knowing all this, I was looking at Mother.

Even knowing all that.

This was a foolish act driven by emotion, but…

It was also a task undertaken for confirmation.

I gazed at Mother with trembling eyes.

Her gaze, looking at me with a smile.

Her distinctive hair visible beneath the veil, and the eyes facing me.

Seeing that, I involuntarily swallowed dryly.

‘…What.’

How could smiling eyes be so cold? At first glance, they seemed incredibly kind, but…

I felt my legs tremble from the chilling feeling within them.

It was devoid of emotion.

There was no emotion whatsoever in the eyes looking at me.

Realizing that, I bit my lip hard.

I became certain.

It seems.

‘…Elder No-ya’s words seem to be correct.’

Mother really seemed unable to recognize me.

I had hoped it wasn’t true, but it really seemed so.

That means…

‘Does it mean everything I was worried about is true?’

It also meant that if Mother were to recognize me, a truly dangerous situation would arise.

I averted my gaze.

I looked at the other person behind Mother.

I knew who it was.

‘Ya-rang.’

One of the generals called Ya-rang, and the daughter of the current Man-gye.

In other words, the one claiming to be Mother’s daughter.

Furthermore.

‘…The Divine Sword Wi Seol-ah.’

The being I believed to be the Divine Sword. I narrowed my eyes slightly as I looked at her.

I understood why Mother couldn’t recognize me.

It was fortunate that she seemed unaware I was a dragon, perhaps thanks to the spell.

But…

‘Why you?’

Ya-rang must have known about me.

We had met face-to-face, and according to Cheonma, she had been watching me continuously.

Seeing her remain still like that made various thoughts arise.

The biggest among them was…

‘Perhaps.’

Is she remaining silent even though she knows?

Despite being called the eyes and ears of Man-gye.

Aren’t you holding back words to Mother right now?

If that’s truly the case.

‘Why.’

Why is she doing that?

If you truly are the Divine Sword, isn’t it possible you’re staying silent for my sake?

Is this speculation based on the situation?

Or is it my desperate wish, hoping for that very outcome?

As my thoughts weren’t functioning properly due to the circumstances.

“Uhm.”

“…!”

Mother’s words brought me back to my senses.

“Do you have any further business with us?”

“…No, it’s nothing… It’s just…”

I turned my gaze away from Ya-rang and looked back at Mother.

“I saw you wandering around the park. I was just wondering what brought you out here.”

“Ah.”

At my words, Mother smiled again.

That smile hurt me particularly.

“I’ve come out for an outing with my daughter after a long time.”

“…An…outing.”

“Yes. The weather’s nice today, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

The weather was indeed clear.

Not a single cloud could be seen; it was certainly lovely.

But…

“That’s why I came out for an outing with my daughter after so long.”

At the words that continued to flow after that, I couldn’t utter a thing.

Came out for an outing with daughter.

As Mother said that, holding Ya-rang’s hand, the image of me walking with my younger sister in the past overlapped.

That was why.

“Thank you so much for picking up the handkerchief. I hope you have a good time too.”

The reason I couldn’t bring myself to grab Mother as she turned away after speaking was…

Because I was afraid of the cold gaze Mother had sent my way.

I couldn’t even bring myself to ask if she didn’t recognize me.

I just watched Mother walk away like that.

And then.

I felt Ya-rang staring intently at me as she left with Mother.

---

The woman exited the park and merged back into the crowd.

I walked for a short while, trying hard to ignore the sounds continuously echoing in my ears.

I walked the path silently for quite some time.

I stepped into the shade of a building.

It wasn’t because of the heat.

I was simply trying to avoid the sunlight.

And at the same time, I wanted to catch my breath for a moment.

“Hmmm.”

The woman exhaled softly.

After quietly composing herself.

“Daughter.”

She called Ya-rang.

Ya-rang responded to the woman’s call.

“About that person from earlier.”

“…”

“Don’t you think I’ve seen them somewhere before?”

To the woman’s question, Ya-rang quietly looked at her.

It was to see her expression, but the woman’s face was not clearly visible, hidden as it was by the veil.

Her voice seemed languid and kind as usual, but…

Ya-rang could feel a subtle difference within it.

Having been born from the woman, she could sense such subtle differences.

Was it pure curiosity?

Or something else entirely?

As she pondered this, looking at the woman.

“Isn’t it strange? I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere… but also like I haven’t.”

She said, tilting her head.

“Hmmm. Should I take off the veil?”

She would know immediately if she took it off, but…

The woman didn’t deliberately do so.

She had something planned after a long time and intended to wait for that.

But…

‘Hmm.’

It kept bothering me.

It had been a long time since she’d come here in this body.

Because she had sealed most of her body with the veil, she hadn’t known the handkerchief had fallen, nor that someone had picked it up.

It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a truly long time.

The woman enjoyed the comfort that came from this vulnerability.

Feeling that, she recalled the person who had handed her the handkerchief.

‘Hmm.’

The face was somewhat blurry.

It was blurry even though she had seen it right before her eyes.

Although she had deliberately slowed down her body’s perception now.

‘That’s strange.’

Nevertheless, her perception failed strangely.

What kind of face did they have?

What kind of face did the person who spoke to me have?

And what kind of voice did they use?

She couldn’t even recall that, but…

Even in that gap, the woman felt a strange sensation.

That’s why she was asking.

“Was it someone you knew?”

Because there was a strange amount of emotion welling up, making it hard to say they were strangers.

The voice that spoke to her seemed tinged with an unidentifiable longing.

And the answer given to her contained an unknowable sadness.

That.

Strangely enough, that bothered the woman.

That’s why she was asking Ya-rang.

If she knew about it, she asked, but…

“…”

Ya-rang slightly shook her head in denial.

“Really?”

“…”

“I see.”

She didn’t ask any further questions after that.

She didn’t think it was a lie.

Ya-rang couldn’t lie to her.

But…

‘Hmm.’

She still felt a strange sense of difference.

Why? If she was curious, she could just find out, but…

The woman didn’t try to find out, not just from Ya-rang, but deliberately avoided it.

Normally, she wouldn’t have acted like this.

If she was curious, she would find out.

There was nothing in this land that the woman didn’t know.

“Hmm.”

The woman didn’t think deeply about the question that had settled upon her.

Or rather, it wasn’t that she didn’t think about it.

It felt like something was blocking her from doing so.

Even so.

‘…What was it?’

The curiosity lingered.

Because the voice that spoke to her lingered in her mind.

The woman couldn’t help but stop walking for a moment.

---

After letting Mother go.

I stood there hesitating, unable to move for a moment.

I couldn’t move, partly because I hadn’t fully grasped the situation, and partly because my head was too cluttered.

So the only thing I could do was try to sort things out one by one.

‘First…’

Why did Mother appear here?

This was the first question I had, but there was no way to know the answer right now.

If Mother is the master of this world in the first place.

It wouldn’t be strange for her to appear anywhere.

‘Still, I need to know the frequency of her appearances.’

Since it’s better than not knowing, I wanted to be sure about this.

Additionally.

‘She really seems not to know me.’

Seeing Mother’s eyes, I dismissed any lingering doubt.

Those eyes, which looked so coldly, were vastly different from the gaze Mother used to give me.

Therefore, I had to let go now.

I let go of the lingering attachment I had barely held onto.

The current Mother truly didn’t remember me.

And also.

‘Ya-rang knows me but pretends not to.’

Ya-rang, considered like the Divine Sword.

Even while watching Mother like that, she didn’t speak about me.

Does she not know I’m a dragon?

I don’t know about that.

What’s important is…

‘If Ya-rang… really is the Divine Sword.’

Though I don’t even know if she is the Divine Sword or not.

If she really is the Divine Sword.

Does she know about me?

Does she not remember like Mother, or does she know?

I wanted to know that.

‘…My current feeling is.’

My guess is that she doesn’t completely not know.

And anticipation.

Also, desperation.

If Mother doesn’t know.

I hoped she would be different.

‘Damn it.’

I hadn’t expected to run into Mother so suddenly, and my mind was a mess.

So, the situation was already complicated, and now this…

“…What kind of situation is this now?”

The situation unfolding before me made my head ache even more.

It was understandable, because…

“Oh, you’ve arrived.”

Elder Shin No-ya was smiling brightly as he saw me appear, but…

The problem was what he held in his hand.

Someone, bound tightly with ropes.

“Mmph! Nngh…!”

Yu-sa, a general of Man-gye, was welcoming me in quite a disgraceful state.