“How is it!”
Imugi stood proudly in front of the house with his arms stretched out.
He repeatedly asked how it was and said without forgetting anything he did.
“Yorim is coming?!”
And then he was surprised at the former colleague joining him, and was losing it.
The next day—
Songhwa went down to the village and sent a messenger bird. The destination was Yunnan. He wondered why Yorim was there and what became of the others, but they had to wait for now.
Three days later—
The bird was back and it was unknown if Yorim got the message or not, but seeing how the paper was not there, it seemed like the bird went to the right destination.
The night—
Imugi came in surprised.
He had come with surprising news. After going around the harbor since morning, he was not alone when he came.
A man with a skinny form and familiar face came. It was Yorim. The man they thought was dead.
“First, have this. It will clear your mind.”
Shhh
As soon as Yorim came in, Songhwa served him tea.
It was not a situation to ask how he was or how the others were.
“Phew… phew…”
Clack
Yorim, who was normally skinny, looked a bit haggard. And his body was trembling at times.
Above all, the form of him being startled and scared seemed so unstable.
“Yorim, are you fine?”
Seol-Hwi asked, looking at his state.
“T-th-that…”
Yorim shivered all over and tried to talk.
Cough! Cough!
And he hurriedly drank the tea making him choke and his hands unfortunately let go of the tea cup.
“Calm down, right, let’s start by taking a deep breath, it is safe here, don’t worry.”
“Safe… safe…”
For some reason Yorim did not seem stable.
He drank the tea with trembling hands.
Phew…
And then it looked like he was a little calmer.
As Songhwa said, the tea seemed to have some calming effect.
“I am sorry. Captain. The members… members…”
Huk
Yorim began to sob at that.
“…”
Everyone stayed silent. There was no one who did not know the meaning of those words.
Huk
Seol-Hwi’s fist clenched. Whatever happened had happened.
Jeok Song, Seo Ryeong, Yong Jin.
He thought that when they returned, they would be comfortable there.
But to think that all of his subordinates had been killed. Was this the future the AI asked him to watch over?
This was the pain he had to live with? And what of the guilt?
I did not abandon them but…
If he knew they would die, he would have never left them there.
However, if he thought about the situation, it was a big thing, knowing this…
Huk
Seol-Hwi calmed down and then relaxed his clenched hand.
“What happened to the Fourth Disciple?”
“…In the meeting with the First Disciple, both were killed.”
Clench.
Seol-Hwi closed his eyes. This too was a reality now.
Now the man kills other disciples and gains greater power. In the process the subordinates of Seol-Hwi die.
He had guessed so, but hearing this in person made it even sadder.
The Fourth Disciple who had to go to the meeting knowing his end. What was it like?
How was he feeling when he released the seals on his body?
“But… among the subordinates of the Fourth Disciples, is there no one other than you who is alive? If you have the others then the Second Disciple can be talked… Wouldn’t there be a chance of them taking people in?”
“He broke the promise made in the talks!”
Crack!
When Seol-Hwi asked, Yorim grit his teeth.
It looked like he was so angry that he did not mind biting down on his teeth.
“Those bastards! Actually, it was not the Second but the First Disciple who led the talks. He told the Second Disciple that he would spare the subordinates of his. The Second Disciple made the same suggestion to the Fourth Disciple.”
“…Huh.”
“That was the reason the Fourth Disciple struggled to make a decision. His body, his mind, he wasn’t the kind to stand by. In the end, he knew that this situation wouldn’t be resolved until he died. So, at least for the ones below, he decided to ally himself with them.”
“Is that so? Then why did the Second Disciple do it? They were allied!”
“I don’t know how the Second Disciple convinced the Earth Demon. However, from a guess… the only thing was that he trusted the Second Disciple over the First Disciple…”
All because of Mount Hua!
Upon hearing that, a sect came to his mind.
He knew that the Second Disciple was an equally horrid person, but wondered if the Earth Demon did not know that. But even so, he had to stop the First Disciple so he made the move anyway.
The First Disciple who sells the people of his sect and makes profit by being allies with Mount Hua, what guarantee was there that he would not touch the subordinates of another disciple?
I can finally understand the situation.
Seol-Hwi recalled the letter.
-The order has been given, Captain, the Earth Demon has begun to move with the core warriors, escort warriors, and hidden troops. We are being made to hold the front.
The reason the Earth Demon gathered all the forces was not to fight the First Disciple. It was just to show the First Disciple and say ‘I put troops on the front line.’
Actually, it was right to assume that he was going into it alone with an enemy who had higher numbers.
There was also a proposal from the First Disciple, so there had to have been a lot happening, and from the point of First Disciple, he could understand the subordinates being placed ahead.
He assumed that the movement of troops was like a ‘face to face talk and then they pushed the troops of First Disciple.’
Therefore, the Earth Demon could have killed the First Disciple if he wanted to.
After hearing that the Earth Demon killed the First Disciple, the Second Disciple must have killed the troops of Earth Demon…
That fucking devil Second Disciple.
The Second Disciple, that fucking sly bastard. Even though the people could be saved and taken under him, he chose to kill the subordinates of another disciple.
The same as before.
“Damn it.”
Imugi cursed under his breath.
Who wanted to hear something like this?
The helplessness they were feeling now, the difference in power where they could do nothing… Seol-Hwi too began to feel the anger which he had forgotten until now.
“And Ca-Captain.’
Suddenly Yorim looked at Seol-Hwi.
“Go on.”
“Separate… I need to speak.”
“Separately?”
What did he want to say now?
Songhwa and Imugi were people he had been with. It was not like he could hide anything more.
But it seemed like he had something to say as he was stuttering very badly.
“Yes. I-I-I-I-I… actually. I…”
“…”
“We will step aside for a moment.”
Songhwa got up right away.
“You…”
“This will be better, Captain. It seems like Yorim has something to say.”
Imugi too got up, and seeing that they left after emphasizing “Captain,” they noticed Yorim being uncomfortable.
“…Yes. Thank you.”
And so the two left.
Songhwa looked sad, but Imugi had a bitter face. It was like he felt something.
…Right, those words he was trying to say.
For some reason, Seol-Hwi could guess what Yorim wanted to say.
Yorim survived alone and the others did not come.
Maybe this is about him.
“Euk… Euk…”
“Phew…”
Yorim began to sob again. The sight of a man sobbing silently made Seol-Hwi’s heart tear.
“Captain…”
“Right, what is it?”
After a while, Yorim seemed to have calmed down a bit.
“I… I have something to show. Can you… look behind?”
“Behind?”
“Yes. I… I feel pathetic…”
“…I get it.”
Seol-Hwi was puzzled but he nodded.
Something—
The face was full of shame, like he could not face them.
Swh
He wasn’t sure what it was, but Seol-Hwi made sure to turn his heart into stone.
Shhh
Yorim seemed to be hesitating looking for words.
Puak!
“…Uh?!”
Suddenly an alarm went off in his head. Seol-Hwi looked down.
There were bundles of holes in his body, and soon realized there was blood.
Cough
At the same time blood dripped down.
“This…?”
No matter how he turned his back, at best his subordinate was Super Master Level.
Yet he could not react.
Carelessness. A betrayal he never thought of. The manifestation of his own special technique.
“How can…”
Seol-Hwi turned around to see Yorim.
After this attack, he for some reason had a sad expression.
“Cough.”
The wound was not healing.
And it was difficult since it pierced right at the heart.
In addition, it was a situation where even the mid and upper chest was wounded, so it wasn’t helping them.
“Just… why…”
As the vision blurred for Seol-Hwi, Yorim mumbled something and the sight turned to darkness.
Finally, only hearing the last words.
“Respected Second Disciple… may my lord enjoy the glory…”
Right.
Seol-Hwi realized what happened.
Eyes which looked blank—
What Yorim showed was not the sadness of losing comrades but satisfcation from preventing the intervention of someone which would change their plans.