Clatter-clatter-clack!
I felt a small bead roll and drop into place with a soft click.
Lady Mi doesn't hate us.
Those words felt strange.
Could that really be true?
Lady Mi resents and hates me. That was the life I had lived, convinced of that.
It was something I couldn't understand unless that were the case.
‘If not, how could it be?’
There were more reasons to hate me than to like me.
There were also more reasons to push me away than to accept me.
So I couldn't understand it.
"She doesn't hate me? How can you be so sure?"
How could Guryeonghwa be so sure of Lady Mi's feelings? Because I didn't know, I asked her.
Guryeonghwa made a rather strange expression and said to me,
"Oppa. You really don't know?"
"What."
"How can you not know...? I really feel sorry for your older sisters...."
"Stop beating around the bush and speak properly."
"It's not about explaining. I think you're the only one who doesn't know, Oppa."
Guryeonghwa scrunched up her face deeply. Still, she seemed about to continue explaining, but.
"...No."
"What?"
"I won't tell you."
"How petty, stopping your sentence halfway."
"You said you'd come but didn't show up, isn't that petty? You said you'd visit your martial nephew at Yeongpung, didn't you? After even saying so and not coming... Who's calling who petty?"
"..."
I lost my words again.
She's gotten better at verbal sparring as she's gotten older. Damn it.
With my words completely blocked and unable to say anything, Guryeonghwa suddenly let out a slight sigh.
"Forget it... Anyway. What are you going to do now, Oppa? Are you going back to Shanxi?"
"..."
"...You're going somewhere again."
Seeing her sullen expression surface, I quickly said,
"It's because I have some business. It's not that I especially don't want to go... I really have some—"
"You don't have to make excuses. I know you're busy."
With those words, Guryeonghwa turned her head and looked forward.
"You're trying to catch the Heavenly Demon or whatever, right?"
"..."
At the following words, my body froze for a moment.
Because an unexpected word had come from Guryeonghwa.
"I know too. That Oppa... has become an important figure to people now. That you're busy trying to catch those Demonic Cult bastards."
Having nothing to say, I held my breath and words.
"They call you a hero? Honestly, I wonder if the word hero even suits your face."
Though she spoke as if dumbfounded, the corners of her lips subtly rose.
"Still, I feel a tiny bit proud."
"..."
"D-don't get the wrong idea. It's really just a rat's tail's worth. Because people keep saying how amazing you are... So I just feel a little that way. Got it?"
Perhaps thinking I had misunderstood because my expression was strange, she denied it repeatedly.
What kind of face was I making to elicit such a reaction?
Whatever it was, it must have been a misunderstanding.
The expression I was making now wasn't due to embarrassment or disbelief.
"So it's fine. Really."
This was a shame felt toward myself.
In a situation I had created as if through my own efforts, the praise coming to me was not mine.
And yet.
"Oppa? What's wrong?"
"...It's nothing. I just feel a bit sick inside."
Hearing this, the fact that I was pleased to hear such words from Guryeonghwa.
I truly hated myself to the point of wanting to vomit.
******************
Time passed, and the next morning.
In light attire, I arrived at the destination.
I finished talking with Guryeonghwa, spoke a bit more with the First Elder, and then headed to Lady Mi.
To be exact, I had planned to see Murong Huia, but she wouldn't meet me, perhaps because she was still angry.
So I relayed it to Lady Mi instead.
Even after hearing that I was going to and returning from Sichuan, she remained calm.
However.
‘Are you thinking of leaving the child here?’
‘Pardon?’
‘That child, I mean.’
‘Ah.’
It seemed she was referring to Ttolttoli, so I had to think for a moment.
Was she telling me not to leave him because managing him was a hassle, but to take him?
Thinking that was the case, I said to Lady Mi,
‘It would be troublesome for Lady Mi to keep looking after him. I'll take him back—’
‘I never said a single word about it being troublesome.’
Somehow, I felt she was slightly putting on a stern expression. Was I imagining it?
‘...Ah, is that so? Still, taking him would somehow be—’
‘The Murim Alliance's affairs must be quite busy right now. It must be hard to look after a child as well. I shall handle this matter.’
‘...’
If she was going to decide on her own, why did she ask...?
I really wanted to ask that but held back. Because the outcome wasn't bad.
Taking Ttolttoli would be comfortable, but it was also an unnecessary mission.
Since there were many personnel anyway, I wouldn't be able to use him.
So for now, it was a situation where leaving him was fine.
If there was anything worrying, it was that if I left him, I didn't know what he might do....
‘He seems to be enjoying himself too, so perhaps it'll be fine?’
Ttolttoli was living well and eating well while sneakily pretending to be an innocent child.
I heard he seemed to go around somewhere with Lady Mi every day.
‘What on earth is he doing?’
I wondered what he was doing.
It didn't seem like he was doing anything particularly great. It seemed like she just dressed him and bought him some food to eat.
‘...Hmm.’
It was something I couldn't understand even if I tried, but for now, I decided to leave it.
If he was doing well right now, that was enough.
Thinking so, I nodded.
‘The problem now isn't that....’
The former White Flower Division Leader, said to be Lady Mi's father. I recalled him and stroked my chin.
‘I should have met that gentleman again.’
The previous generation's White Flower Division Leader.
A man said to even be a direct blood descendant born of the Gu clan.
There was something I needed to ask him, but.
‘He wasn't there.’
I had tried to find him while meeting Lady Mi last night, but they said the old man was nowhere to be found.
Where on earth had he gone? Had he truly disappeared?
Perhaps Lady Mi didn't want me to meet him and had hidden him.
No, that possibility was highly likely.
‘Why?’
Why did Lady Mi so hate the man who was her father, and why was the hated old man a blood relative of the Gu clan?
The doubts ran deep.
The First Elder had said it was nothing serious and that it was fine, but.
‘I'm curious.’
Even if I pretended otherwise, it was inevitably a curious matter.
I wanted to find out if possible. For that.
‘I need to finish quickly and come back.’
Return as quickly as possible. If that was possible.
‘Before the season ends.’
Before this time, which had just turned to autumn, comes to an end.
I intended to finish this matter somehow.
With that resolve, I turned around.
Behind me stood personnel numbering fewer than twenty, standing nervously.
"Ready?"
"...All personnel are ready."
To the brief question, Dang Soyeol, who was beside me, answered immediately.
The answer was so quick that she seemed to have prepared it in advance.
It was so cute that I wanted to pat her head, but I held back.
There were too many eyes watching.
"Is that so? Then, soon—"
I was about to go report to Mukyeon to depart, but.
"Hmm?"
I sensed someone's presence from somewhere.
When I turned my eyes, sure enough, I saw several people approaching from afar.
It was not a small number. Moreover, the clothes they wore were somehow familiar.
It wasn't just me; the others seemed to feel the same, as everyone widened their eyes.
"I-Ilcheong-geom...?"
"Isn't that the Blue Dragon Leader?"
At the head of the approaching group.
There was a neat-looking middle-aged man.
It was Ilcheong-geom, the Blue Dragon Leader, known to be the strongest among all leaders except the current Sword Emperor.
He was walking here personally, leading his subordinates behind him.
Others who saw that reacted.
The appearance of the Blue Dragon wasn't a surprising matter.
Since it had already been announced beforehand that this operation was a joint effort with the Blue Dragon, the Blue Dragon appearing wasn't strange, but.
"Why is Ilcheong-geom here personally?"
The fact that it was the Blue Dragon Leader himself, and not someone else, was a different matter.
"Surely he didn't come to see us off."
"The Blue Dragon Leader himself? Were the two of you that close?"
"I heard there was some friction rather than closeness...?"
As the buzzing grew louder due to the slightly spread rumors.
Seeing Ilcheong-geom appear, I also stepped forward.
"Senior Ilcheong-geom."
"A pleasure."
Speaking, Ilcheong-geom lightly extended his hand.
Without hesitation, I clasped his hand.
Feeling his hand, I spoke with a smile.
"...I had heard with gratitude that you would offer help, but I didn't expect you to come personally like this."
"Haha. Hearing that the Ascending Dragon Corps was deploying for the first time, I couldn't sit still. I'm fortunate to be able to help like this."
Squeeze.
A slight force entered his hand.
It wasn't to the point of feeling crushing strength, just him applying moderate force.
"However, I was slightly worried whether the Ascending Dragon Leader might feel burdened."
"That wouldn't be the case. I have heard well of your recent renown. Having your help makes me feel nothing but secure."
"That is truly a relief."
The exchanged words were infinitely warm.
Because of that, those behind us expressed their surprise as they watched.
"As expected, it seems the two were closer than I thought."
"Indeed, why would the world's Ilcheong-geom bother with friction...."
Watching the situation, they began to think whatever they pleased.
My ears itched terribly, but I ignored them.
Because in reality, it wasn't such a warm situation.
‘This bastard starts picking a fight the moment he arrives.’
I analyzed Ilcheong-geom's words within his smile.
‘—Hearing that the Ascending Dragon Corps was deploying for the first time, I couldn't sit still—’
He came because he was anxious it would fail the moment it deployed.
With nothing but a motley crew, he couldn't sleep from worry.
‘—I was slightly worried whether the Ascending Dragon Leader might feel burdened.’
‘Wouldn't it be better if I joined the first deployment? Even if it's burdensome, endure it if you want to succeed.’
Even if I interpreted the intent slightly differently, the meaning would be something like that.
I didn't know how many hidden daggers lay within those few words.
Because he was pissing me off from the start, I threw out a remark too.
‘—I have heard well of your recent renown. Having your help makes me feel nothing but secure.’
The renown of Ilcheong-geom mentioned here.
Ilcheong-geom's mission completion rate of late was not very high, and the damages were well known.
Having mentioned that in this situation, it could hardly have a good meaning.
"Haha."
"Hahaha."
Clench.
Holding back laughter, strength began to pour into our clasped hands.
It crossed beyond ordinary pressure into the realm of contest.
Feeling that, I slightly adjusted my body.
Swoosh....
Then, sure enough, qi seeped in as if by mistake.
Suppressing the corners of my mouth that tried to rise, I let go as if surprised.
Tak-!
As our clasped hands separated, qi stirred a faint wind.
My hair swayed slightly in the wind.
At the same time.
"Ascending Dragon Leader."
"Yes."
Ilcheong-geom spoke to me.
"If there is anything worrying you, let it go."
He was smiling.
"Our Blue Dragon will support the Ascending Dragon with all our sincerity. Know that the mission will certainly be completed."
I felt a fishy undertone within his confident words.
Normally it would be irritating, but this time, fortunately, I could smile.
"Worry? How could there be any?"
I don't worry about things like that.
And for good reason—I believed in this man called Ilcheong-geom.
We clearly shared the same goal.
"I trust you, Senior."
No matter what situation came.
"So, let us work hard together."
He was a man who would act exactly as I wished.