Hadras was home to the Sama Order, and Cron was home to the Murim Alliance. The distance between the two cities was enormous.
Lee Sungmin had traveled all over Eria for various reasons, but this was the first time he had gone on a journey with this long of a route in terms of time taken to travel.
Besides, going all the way to Cron wasn’t the end of this journey. After stopping by Cron, they had planned to visit The City of Travia in the Northern part of the continent.
Together on the journey with him, was his master, Sima Ryunju, Scarlett… and one more.
The distance was so far that they had decided to take a carriage and had to hire someone to drive it.
“Her name is Ye-Hwa.”
Sima Ryunju had a personal group of guards at all times inside the Sama Order. They were never entrusted to be witnessed by the public, so they always worked from the shadows..
Ye-Hwa, who had escorted Wijihoyeon to the Forest of Fairies some time ago, was part of this group of personal bodyguards that worked in the shadows.
Ye-Hwa was the lead guard of the group known as ‘The Red Flower’. Lee Sungmin glanced at Ye-Hwa, who was covering her face with a fox mask. She had a bobbed haircut cut down to her shoulders. Lee Sungmin sent a telepathic message to his master as he looked at her.
[Why is she wearing a mask?]
[It’s something to imitate from this old man.]
Sima Ryunju replied in a sour voice. Lee Sungmin asked again just in case.
[Is she your hidden daughter or something?]
[Say something that makes sense. How many times do I have to say that I didn’t have any children?]
[Then….stepdaughter?]
[I don’t think so, but maybe he’s thinking differently. Most of the people who this old man uses as his guards are actually once-abandoned orphans. Hadras, where there are many martial artists and shunned unorthodox practitioners, also have many beggars and slum rats. This old man exchanged food and shelter with some of those people for them learning martial arts and devoting themselves to their positions.]
[They were mercifully saved and taught by you?]
[I told you that wasn’t the case. I exchanged their lives for their devotion to martial arts and their life as bodyguards.]
Sima Ryunju passed a side-long glance at Ye-Hwa as he answered Lee Sungmin and walked towards the carriage. Ye-Hwa bowed her head respectfully. Even when Sima Ryunju turned his gaze back to Lee Sungmin and sent another telepathic message, she did not raise her head back up.
[That’s all I’m saying, but those who have received my teachings in full and my respect will die if I give the command. This is because I found no better people that are suitable to engrave loyalty into. I have given them everything they have now, and all they do is something simple from me in return.]
Lee Sungmin glanced back at Ye-Hwa, who still had her head bowed down respectfully.
Although that was what Sima Ryunju had said, Lee Sungmin was not sure since he had known a different side to his master until now. He truly didn’t expect Sima Ryunju would ever tell his servants to just go and die.
[The whole Red Flower is coming along with us?]
[That’s too noticeable. The only one that is going is Ye-Hwa. There’s no one else whom I trust to drive the carriage. The other Red Flower members will maintain the situation at the Order while we are gone from the dark.]
[Are you worried about something happening to the place?]
Lee Sungmin recalled what Sima Ryunju had said to him. In the thousand years of training in Denir’s Trial of Time, Sima Ryunju had said that he abandoned everything other than his desire for pursuing martial arts.
Lee Sungmin couldn’t believe it. Sima Ryunju surely had made actions since Lee Sungmin had met him, that consisted of things that did not directly pursue his ideal of growing stronger.
He regularly intervened in the affairs of the Sama Order with the help of Oslo, while hiding in the Forest of Fairies. He had also made Lee Sungmin take care of the situation prior to his arrival.
[It’s the least amount of self-awareness that I need.]
Sima Ryunju’s steps stopped in front of the carriage.
[I am not a heartless person. I never wanted to establish the Sama Order, nor did I care for the title of the Demonic Emperor. But as long as people needed a place to stay and wanted me to be that umbrella, I decided to at least remain dutiful.]
[Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t mind if they died or not?]
[I can’t help it if they die. But at least I am being aware and conscious of my actions to provide the minimum amount of support for those people who believe in me and my martial arts.]
Sima Ryunju spoke as he climbed into the carriage. Scarlett was already in the carriage waiting for them.
The carriage was armed with various magical defense spells, but also had been enchanted with several auxiliary spells geared towards comfort. It was naive to think of it as a simple carriage after Scarlett had added her touch to it.
“Let’s go.”
Sima Ryunju spoke to Ye-Hwa as they closed the carriage door. At first, Ye-Hwa was wearing a fox mask, but sometime in between then and now, she had taken it off.
Any carriage being driven by someone with such an odd-looking mask would be questioned. When Sima Ryunju nodded, Ye-Hwa immediately climbed onto the driver’s seat and began driving the wagon.
“What do you think?”
Sima Ryunju asked. Naturally, Lee Sungmin, who was about to enter meditation as he sat comfortably, opened his eyes when he realized that the question was directed at him.
“What do you mean?”
“That kid. Do you think she’s pretty?”
“…… What are you saying so suddenly?”
“I’m asking just in case you’re not trying to seduce all the women around you, pretending not to be faithful to your woman. If I give the command, Ye-Hwa will undress right in front of you.”
“Hey, I’m listening right now.”
Scarlett, who was taking out her test tubes and magical equipment, spat out a fierce voice as she glanced at Sima Ryunju for his crude words.
“You don’t mean to say that you’re not adult enough to hear things like this, are you?”
“It’s not something I want to hear.”
Scarlett grumbled. Sima Ryunju nodded with a grin at the words.
“It seems I’ve lacked some consideration for you.”
“You treated me with respect earlier, this is not like how you were treating me before.”
“This old man is not an ill-mannered figure.”
“Why don’t you give me the proper consideration of choosing your words more carefully?”
“Politeness is an appropriate amount of respect when this old man does not care for a person.”
Sima Ryunju said with a smirk. Scarlett snorted at his remark. She was indeed feeling it to some extent. Sima Ryunju only showed her a certain extent of hospitality due to certain conditions, but it was not something the man normally did.
“Should I distance myself from you too, my disciple?”
“…… Just act as usual.”
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter if you touch Ye-Hwa, but if you’re going to do it, do it in a place where this old man and the Red Tower Master over here, don’t know.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Hah! Pretending to be uninterested until the very end.”
Ignoring Sina Ryunju’s silly words, Lee Sungmin closed his eyes and entered meditation. Heoju giggled inside his head and spoke to him.
[Pretending to be all chivalrous and polite. Wouldn’t it be better to enjoy it while you can?]
‘Why are you talking nonsense as well?’
After shutting Heoju up, Lee Sungmin finally entered a deep state of meditation and started to review his most recent fight.
It was the fight with the Spear King, Kang Seok. It was bitter to think about, but Lee Sungmin had no choice to admit that Kang Seok’s spear techniques and combat ability were several times stronger than his own. Although he tried to make up for what he lacked with sheer power and overwhelming amounts of internal energy, the difference between them that was created by Kang Seok’s spear techniques was not something that could be substituted with overflowing power.
Even though he had even used the Illusion World Technique, he could not finish the technique in full. It was true that it was able to gain him the upper hand temporarily in the fight, but the technique itself was a double-edged sword.
The technique was powerful and deadly, but it required massive amounts of internal energy to maintain, and if Lee Sungmin overused his internal energy, he would start drawing out the power of unknown and ominous origin.
He was still weak. He needed to find a way and steeled his mind in preparation.
In any way possible. He would get stronger. No matter what.
Lee Sungmin chewed his lower lip as he sunk into his meditation.
* * *
It was after night that the carriage stopped. Ye-Hwa, the driver, said it didn’t matter and that she could continue to drive, but Sima Ryunju disagreed.
When asked if there was anything to hurry about, Ye-Hwa calmly collected firewood and set the fire without refuting any further.
Lee Sungmin couldn’t sleep because he had a lot to think about. Sima Ryunju had comfortably gone back to the carriage and slept, but Lee Sungmin sat near the bonfire and stared at it with unfocused eyes.
What Abel said was still confusing Lee Sungmin…
Also, his own body was in a state of ambiguity with regard to all the energy he had to balance evenly.
Not far away, Scarlett was crouching in a thick robe next to the fire. Lee Sungmin glanced at Scarlett, who was moving a pen with her reading glasses on.
“What are you writing?”
“Magic formulas.”
Scarlett replied.
“It’s annoying, but I thought it’d be better to write it down.”
“Are you going to give away any of your spell formulas?”
“At first, I was going to donate it to the Wizard Guild to foster future education. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen those council bastards do anything for the education of the younger generation. If I donate it so that everyone can read it, they won’t be able to see it for themselves.”
Lee Sungmin didn’t know much about the Wizard Guild. However, through Abel’s account, it was discovered to some extent that the council members or elders were rotten to the core.
“But I have to complete it first. It’s a waste to keep it all to myself. Someday…… if I have a chance, I’ll reveal some of my formulas.”
Scarlett muttered and took off her glasses. She stretched all the way out and tilted her neck from side to side, cracking the stiff muscles loose. Then she lifted himself up and approached the wagon.
“I’m tired, so I’ll go in and sleep first.”
“My master is sleeping inside.”
“I don’t think I’m shameless enough to reveal my sleeping body?”
“That’s true.”
Scarlett laughed at Lee Sungmin’s answer. Scarlett, who was opening the door, paused and looked back at Lee Sungmin.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind. If you don’t get an answer after thinking over it several times…… sometimes the answer is not to think about it at all.”
Lee Sungmin smiled awkwardly as if he had been caught red-handed. Scarlett shrugged at the sight of Lee Sungmin’s terrible acting.
“Well, you say that, but I don’t know what you’re thinking. But that doesn’t mean I want to hear your worries either. Hearing other people’s struggles only makes my head spin.”
“……that’s fine.”
“I’m glad to hear that’s a relief. But I mean, if it’s frustrating and tough. I can comfort you in a healthier way.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The exact opposite of unhealthy ways.”
Scarlett gave Lee Sungmin a coquettish smile.
“Or are you more attracted to unhealthy things now that you’re not a kid and all grown up?”
“No.”
“To answer with such a straight face; how hurtful.”
“Isn’t that a joke, too?”
“I thought you were too stiff, so I told you to relax. Of course, I don’t mean to console you in an unhealthy way simply because you want to. It just means I’m going to drink and listen to you ramble. It’s because I’ve heard you got a really fine alcohol on you these days.”
“There is one, yes.”
“Save it. I’ll pull out the mulberry later. I’m too tired today, so I’m going to bed.”
Scarlett yawned loudly with her mouth wide open.
“Good night.”
Scarlett also went into the carriage. The only people left were Lee Sungmin and Ye-Hwa. Lee Sungmin glanced at Ye-Hwa sitting across from him. Since he had first heard her introduction from Sima Ryunju, he hadn’t really ever had a one-on-one conversation with her.
“Do you need any service tonight?”
Suddenly, Ye-Hwa opened her mouth and asked Lee Sungmin. At the words, Lee Sungmin recalled what Sima Ryunju had said in the carriage and had treated it like a joke. But now, Lee Sungmin’s expression hardened.
“I’m fine.”
“I will always try to live up to your expectations if you ask.”
Such blind loyalty to even sell one’s body away like it was nothing, was unfamiliar to Lee Sungmin. He shook his head with a bitter smile and spoke.
“I don’t ever plan to ask you that, so please don’t think of it too much.”
“Are you not satisfied with me?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Lee Sungmin sighed deeply as he looked at Ye-Hwa’s face. Even though she was saying embarrassing things, there was a little bit of shame in Ye-Hwa’s face as her cheeks were slightly reddened. It seemed even she had a humanistic side to her still.
[You won’t eat when the food is offered right in front of your face?]
‘If you eat everything in front of your face with no filter, you’re no human being. You’d just become a beast at that point.’
[Why don’t you eat something that is in front of your face, and you know will be delicious?]
‘Cause I’m not hungry.’
[It’s been a while since you’ve eaten, but you’re not hungry? Such a weird guy.….]
‘Can you please stop with that cheap analogy?’
Heoju cackled in laughter at Lee Sungmin’s words.
[It’s because I’m frustrated that all you think about are depressing thoughts]]
‘Does it really sound that frustrating to you as well?’
[You won’t get an answer if you think so hard about it. The imbalance of power is something you can’t solve on your own, and the future is still not set in stone yet. You don’t have to worry about things coming to an end or what not,]
‘I don’t understand.’
Lee Sungmin pressed on his temples in frustration.
He used to think about it all the time. Why did Lee Sungmin of all people have to be the one to find the stone of past lives? When he came back, everyone started to treat him a bit more special than normal, and even outright said he was unique at times. But…why?
He knew the answer to it, but he didn’t want to admit it. He, in the end, really wasn’t that special. It was merely that he had seen a different world and future than the current timeline. He was the ‘observer’/ But now that his time had overlapped with his past life, he was no longer that person or role.
‘Yeah, I was just unlucky. I was thrown into this situation because I really have terrible luck.’
[Anyone would have fulfilled that role. It didn’t have to just be you.]
‘I don’t feel responsible. I just don’t want to die because of me returning back to the past.’
[You must have many lingering feelings and regrets in your life.]
‘I just wanted to live a better life than my previous life.’
Lee Sungmin stared at the sky.
‘I was nothing. I didn’t want to lead such a terrible life again. I didn’t mean to get where I am now, but this so-called fate protected me and helped me grow. I just didn’t want to be the degenerate that I once was, and to maybe even enjoy this life. I don’t want it to end.’
[You don’t seem to be satisfied.]
“My past life.”
Lee Sungmin closed his eyes as he contemplated at the starry night sky.
“It was rotten. All I did was drink every single day. I had nothing to hope for. I lived everyday like it was my day to die. Prostitutes, liquor, bar fights, and being looked down on by the other mercenaries…”
Heoju silently listened to Lee Sungmin.
“What can I do?… and what the hell am I?”
[You are you.]
The silence was broken as Heoju replied.
[You’re you, Lee Sungmin. You stupid idiot. And… in this old man’s opinion, it wouldn’t have been worth it if anyone else picked up that stone and came back. I would simply think they didn’t deserve it.]
Heoju’s voice subsided as he spoke solemnly.
[Why did I die? It was a question in the back of my mind at first, but it didn’t bother me much. Just because I have a question that is unanswered doesn’t mean that if I find that answer, I will be able to go back to that day and survive.]
For Heoju, he treated the question and mystery of his death as only that much.
[I’m here, right now, at this very moment. That’s enough for me as it is. Here I am, with you. Even if I’m dead, I’m still here in one way or another. The same goes for you. Even if you came back here after death, you are Lee Sungmin. You’re still Lee Sungmin, the idiot. Don’t doubt yourself.]
‘I’m not you.’
[You’re talking like a fool again. Of course, you are not me. There’s a clear difference below your stomach compared to the mighty me.]
Heoju grinned.
[Maybe this old man…… I think I might have died in order to meet you.]
“What?”
[They say there is no such thing as coincidence.]
Heoju’s laughter grew louder.
[That doesn’t mean I blame you. It’s rather pleasant and even a bit exciting. Was your existence worth my death and that much more? Just what happened for it to be that way?]
Heoju suddenly recalled that time he had seen that ominous and frightening figure hiding in the depths of Lee Sungmin’s mental world. It had the image of a humanoid figure, but it was clearly a monster now that Heoju thought about it.
Shhhhhhhh.
Recalling that frightening monster that had grinned at Heoju and shushed him, Heoju fell deathly silent.