episode_0228

“Paechon…?”

“You were aiming for the moment when everyone was confused by the cradle incident. It was as if you had known about it in advance, your movements were so nimble.”

“… ”

The principal’s warning that Baek Il-yong was a dangerous person comes to mind. The attitude of the Heuk-ryeon couple, who did not like him, is also memorable.

Was he plotting something like this behind that tall and attractive appearance?

“If the private soldiers of Paechon occupy a strategic point and while they are wasting time, the troops of the Northern Command under Paechon’s influence will push down… ”

“The Northern Army is the only force guarding the wall…! Without them, the demons would immediately start moving south. No matter how crazy they are with power, how could they come up with such an idea…!”

“Calm down. You don’t have to worry so much.”

But Mok Jin-woo is still calm. It was only at this point that I could notice his unusual composure.

“Well, it is clear that it was a very dangerous situation. No one expected their movements. It was already too late to call up private troops to respond, and the Southern Command troops that were supposed to check the Northern Army had suffered catastrophic losses in the Holy Land Expedition… ”

I asked him a question about the new cigarettes.

“… What is the current situation?”

“The rebels are on the defensive.”

And as if he had been waiting, he answered simply.

“The Northern Army will not move from the wall. Baek Gwang and Seongsan, who are on friendly terms with Paechon, will also not move and will just watch the situation. Instead of joining the rebellion.”

“… ”

“At one point, more than half of the capital fell into their hands. The rebels even advanced to just a few blocks from the Supreme Council. But now, most of it has been recaptured.”

Mok Jin-woo continued speaking.

“By now, the suppression force will be ready to subdue the base of the Paechon. The council has passed an emergency measure and stripped Paechon of all his privileges and powers. Now, they can no longer receive the protection of the Magical Covenant.”

“Emergency measures… ”

It’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time. I clearly remember the punitive force using that excuse during the communist incident.

The punitive force that mercilessly trampled the Saga of the Reds was mostly made up of private soldiers dispatched by Paechon.

It’s an absurd situation that these people are the ones getting hit with a hammer.

“I think it’s safe to say that the odds are already completely against us. I don’t know why they haven’t surrendered yet… ”

I asked Mok Jin-woo, who was frowning as if something was not clear.

“That’s fortunate, but…how did things turn out like that? From what the branch manager said, it sounds like it was almost a perfect surprise attack.”

Then Mok Jin-woo looked back at me. His mouth was quivering, as if he wanted to ask me something.

“… I had a bowel movement.”

***

The person who urgently called Mok Jin-woo by phone was truly an unexpected person.

He asked with a rare blank expression.

“Did you just say… a coup d’etat?”

“Yes.”

Long, black hair that sways. Two bright eyes that seem to hold all the light in the world. At first glance, they seem polite and elegant, but behind the scenes, there is the arrogant nature of a ruler.

Baek Seo-yeon in front of him nodded slightly, her hands clasped together slightly.

“An emergency order has already been issued within the Paechon. Under Baek Il-yong’s command, the vassals are moving in unison. ”

Then he said with a self-deprecating laugh.

“To return this country to a monarchy after three hundred years.”

“Oh no… !”

It was a shocking piece of information. Even though it was the General Intelligence Service that oversaw all of the nation’s intelligence, it had clear limitations in looking into the internal circumstances of each family.

Even more so because the current republican system is more like a loose confederation of several powerful wizarding families.

If you were to get caught while following the powerful, it would be fortunate if there was no backlash or even bloodshed.

This was also the reason why their activities were mostly focused on monitoring the activities of black magic criminals and demons.

“Everything will be ready by dawn tomorrow. The first place to occupy is the Supreme Council. We plan to capture the heads of each family, the council members, and use them as hostages to neutralize the other families. Then we will take control of the newspaper office, the corporate district, the power plant, and the water purification plant… ”

Mok Jin-woo swallowed as he went on and on about detailed plans that only the participants or the drafters would know about.

“Please inform the heads of each clan about this. And tell them to secretly gather their private soldiers. So that they can be ready immediately if something happens.”

“But… there will be limits to private soldiers. Moreover, Paechon has almost complete control over the personnel of the Northern Army. If they are mobilized as well… ”

“The Northern Army will not move.”

She had an extremely arrogant and cynical expression on her face.

“They are completely under my control. They only follow my orders, not the family’s. So you don’t have to worry about the Northern Army moving south.”

“Ugh… ”

“The same goes for Seongsan and Baekgwang. Choi I-re, the real power behind Seongsan, is my close friend, and Jin Ga-ryeong, the head of Baekgwang, is a woman who follows the trend. They will never make a move until one side is certain of victory.”

Baek Seo-yeon declared.

“No matter how strong the forces of the Paechun clan are, there is a clear limit to the military power they can mobilize alone. They will be able to stop them with just the private soldiers of other clans.”

“Then, it would be better to dispatch the Royal Guard’s magician corps to arrest Baek Il-yong… ”

“That won’t do.”

Baek Seo-yeon immediately shook her head at Mok Jin-woo’s suggestion.

“Baek Il-yong is a cunning man. He will probably be creating an escape route right before the job is done. He will probably point out one or two people in the group and shift the blame while he himself tries to escape leisurely. You have to wait for the perfect moment. The moment when he is sure of victory. Make sure he never escapes.”

After she finished speaking, she extended her long, slender fingers and elegantly lifted the teacup.

It could be seen as a tip that changed the fate of the country. If she hadn’t been there, the Republic would have fallen completely into the hands of the underdog overnight.

Mok Jin-woo, who had been silent for a while to collect his thoughts, finally opened his mouth again.

“… Baek Seo-yeon, Young-ae. I salute your patriotism. But… ”

However, his attitude was too indifferent and contemplative to be called the person concerned. The title Baek Il-yong, which was neither the head of the household nor the father, also grated on my ears for some reason.

“Why?”

“… ”

“Isn’t Baek Seo-yeon Young-ae always showing respect for her father in the media? Moreover, if the coup had been successful, she could have risen to a position that everyone looks up to?”

“I don’t even want that kind of glory. All I want is one thing… ”

A momentary vagueness that did not match her fresh face flashed across her. She was lost in her emotions and about to speak, but then closed her mouth tightly again and stood up.

“… I think my work is done here. I should go now. If I’m too late, I might get caught. ”

And Baek Seo-yeon, who was about to turn around, hesitated as if remembering something and asked.

“And by any chance… is Hyun-i awake?”

It was a violent agitation that even bit the lips. It was a hidden side of the orphaned Yeong-ae that was known to the world.

“Not yet.”

Even while feeling those things, Mok Jin-woo shook his head.

“But you don’t have to worry too much. The doctor said that he avoided a fatal injury. He’s in good physical condition, so he’ll wake up in a few days.”

“Is that so… ”

Baek Seo-yeon sighed as if she was relieved. A faint smile of relief appeared on her lips.

Mok Jin-woo asked her as if poking her.

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you go and visit the patient yourself?”

“… I’m already on my way back. I couldn’t stay long though because some rat got in my way.”

For a moment, a fierce hostility towards someone flashed through her eyes. Each and every one of them was a very surprising sight to Mok Jin-woo.

He was regularly receiving updates on the situation within the school through his informant, Muyeong. Sometimes, immature people do something that can surprise the world.

In that sense, Lee Hyeon’s actions were amazing in many ways.

From the beginning of the semester, he has been engaging in all sorts of eccentric behaviors and has been receiving bad reviews, but he has instead achieved many military achievements and great feats and has risen to a position that no one can approach.

Moreover, Yeonmin-ha and Baek Seo-yeon.

Owners of noble blood, born with the character of a ruler.

The noble spirits who never bow down to anyone and cannot mix with each other.

Now, Lee Hyun was even receiving favor from those people that was bordering on obsession.

Naturally, it was a part that made people curious about the inside story.

“And when Hyun-i wakes up…please tell her what I said.”

Baek Seo-yeon, whose expression had changed, opened her mouth. The hatred from earlier was nowhere to be seen, and only a faint sadness was evident.

“… I’m sorry. Everything… ”

“Hehe, this is just as tragic as a will. I guess you had a little fight with our Hyun.”

Mok Jin-woo, whose information-oriented nature was activated, started to act cute and started to cry slightly.

“That’s a little surprising. Weren’t you on bad terms at the beginning of the semester? I heard that you could hear the hallways screaming in anger. There were also rumors that you hated each other… But what happened… ”

But Baek Seo-yeon shook her head. Her gaze, filled with longing, was looking beyond.

“It’s absolutely impossible for me to hate Hyun-i.”

***

“Well, that’s what happened.”

After finishing speaking, Mok Jin-woo drank his glass of water as if his throat was burning.

“Then, I was able to contact Yeong-ae Yeong-ae and hear the general story of what happened two years ago. So the puzzle was falling into place. The past of Baek Seo-yeon Yeong-ae that was hidden in the gap before entering Yeolap, the inside story of what each of Pae-cheon and Jeok-hwa did, and… even the tragedy that happened in your village.”

“… ”

“So I was just about to tell you when you woke up… But the situation is the situation… When the subjugation begins… Baek Seo-yeon Young-ae is inside… ”

Mok Jin-woo’s voice started to hum and then soon became inaudible. Everything was blurry.

I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Weren’t you faithfully following your father’s wishes? Didn’t you say that you coveted wealth and fame?

So he abandoned me like an old pair of shoes. He definitely did…

I was in a state of confusion with my memories all jumbled up.

Suddenly, I felt the strange weight of something hanging in my pocket, so I put my trembling hands in and slowly took it out.

What was that ring there?

A cheap ring made of an unknown metal, either gold or silver. It’s the kind of thing that no elementary school student would take even if given to them.

It is even more unsightly because there are even traces of burns.

Nonetheless, I could immediately recognize its identity.

“This is…!”

I couldn’t help it.

Well, this was the thing that contained all the past and longing I had lost.