Chapter: 877
The investigation was almost at its end.
Honestly, there wasn’t really anything to investigate.
The horse was scanning the investigation area here and there, but nothing could definitively be uncovered.
What more would I know when everything had already been cleared away?
The only thing left to do was endure the smell of blood and tidy up the corpses.
I searched hard to see if there was anything to be gained, but there was absolutely nothing.
‘You really did a clean job.’
I knew he must have been quite angry, yet the way he handled it so perfectly was impressive.
This again reminded me of what kind of being the Dark King truly was.
“That’s it.”
At my words, the members of Seongryongdae and Maeng’s martial artists halted their movements.
“I don’t think there’s any point in continuing.”
“…”
Everyone seemed to agree.
There was really nothing we could do when nothing turned up even after our thorough search.
“Nothing at all?”
“There are traces of something being erased, but nothing else is visible.”
“It can’t be this meticulous….”
I searched through the archives of Gyecheon Gate or specific locations more than once, and even after raiding the branches and searching the main documents, there was nothing of significant value to understand.
The only insight I could glean was:
“Really… I never thought I’d be working alongside Branch Manager Sapa.”
From the ledgers, it was evident that the guy with the surname Mokri had been colluding with Gyecheon Gate.
Though it took a while to uncover due to how deeply it was buried, I finally found it.
“Would it be correct to assume that the Demonic Cult deliberately left this behind?”
“Since it’s been discovered anyway, they probably thought it wasn’t worth taking with them.”
“Then why is there no mention of the Ilcheong Sword?”
Ilcheonggeom, of course, had joined hands with Sapa and was even tied to the Demonic Cult as well.
I learned this shocking fact directly from Ilcheonggeom himself.
“That’s… perhaps that information had to be erased by the Demonic Cult.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Regardless of what it was, since Ilcheonggeom spoke of it himself, there’s no need to dig any deeper into that aspect.”
What’s more, the Cheonma even came and killed Ilcheonggeom himself.
Even with the information lost, it was confirmed by Ilcheonggeom’s own confession.
“Honestly… I never imagined the leader of the Murim Alliance would be pulling such strings behind the scenes.”
“In this chaotic situation, there’s not a single person I can trust…”
The murmurs that came off as sticky floated in the air. After hearing them, I remarked:
“Enough chit-chat; let’s get to what needs to be done.”
“Understood…!”
At my words, the martial artists scrambled into action. Watching them, I thought to myself:
‘There’s nobody to trust…’
That’s the hard truth. There wasn’t a single person in this world I could put my trust in.
Least of all myself.
I returned to the branch. A whole day had passed, and it was evening once more.
“Make sure to send a brief report as well. The party has sent reinforcements, so let the kids take a breather.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll cut the number of night watchmen in half and inform the party separately, so adjust the timing as well.”
“Consider it done.”
Although it had only been two days, it had felt like a strenuous march.
Physical exhaustion wouldn’t be a problem since everyone was at an advanced level, but the mental fatigue was a different story.
Everyone looked tired out.
If I tried to push them any harder, I reckoned they’d all break down in no time.
So I had to make time for a forced break.
If we were going to be working them hard, it made sense to take care of them this way. That way, we’d be able to keep using them without breaking down.
“When the report goes to the main office, support will arrive, won’t it?”
“Yes, we’re scheduling it for three months from now.”
“In that case, by the time they arrive, we won’t be here anyway.”
Three months would be plenty of time for us to return long before then.
‘That’s something they’ll figure out on their own.’
Any late investigation would only be for show. I didn’t have high hopes for the handling of the matter by the main office.
“I’ve checked most of it, and that’s enough. Everyone, get some rest. Inform Branch Manager Sung that I’ll visit in about an hour.”
“Understood.”
I conveyed the message and moved on. My destination was my quarters.
‘I should take care of the business regarding the Poison King by the day after tomorrow… and I need to inform the higher-ups about the Dokcheondan too.’
The iron line had surely been foolishly relayed, but I had to keep an eye on it.
‘And regarding the open side… Before the higher-ups catch wind of it, I need to handle those who’ve accepted bribes.’
There were beggars spreading rumors without the higher-ups being aware.
Naturally, as soon as the rumors spread, the higher-ups would have taken action. It was best that I sorted everything out before that happened.
‘The Dark King seems busy. I have my own schedule too. But trusting Dangdeok seems risky.’
That bumbling fool had no idea what chaos he might unleash if left alone.
Thus, I had to rely on someone else…
‘Ah.’
Suddenly, one name popped into my head.
The guy who would be currently on the western front. I figured I could assign him the task.
‘So I’ll just send him a separate letter later…’
What should I do next?
The moment I opened the door to my room with that thought in mind—
“You’re here.”
“…”
A chilling voice echoed.
When I lifted my head, two green eyes greeted me in the darkness of the night.
“You’re late.”
It was Dang So-yeol.
With a stoic face, she welcomed me. I looked at her and asked.
“Why are you here? No, how long have you been waiting?”
“It hasn’t been long.”
It can’t have been long. It felt like forever.
‘I’m going out of my mind.’
My throat involuntarily swallowed.
No matter how absent-minded I was, I hadn’t noticed that Dang So-yeol was in the room.
What this means is—
‘You were genuinely suppressing your presence.’
This meant that Dang So-yeol put in all that effort to conceal herself.
This indicated that something was prepared, not just in the room but from the doorway of the residence.
Whoosh—!!!
The moment our eyes met, a barrier wrapped around me as if it had been waiting to protect me.
It was truly impressive.
At first glance, it seemed to be set up for soundproofing.
“You’ve worked hard today, too.”
“… Uh… Yeah… And you?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Really? Why is that?”
“I couldn’t focus on my work because something was bothering me. Oh, it was my fault for not finishing my tasks, so please scold me later.”
“…”
Who would scold someone with such a serious look on their face?
I stopped myself from saying anything and swallowed my words.
“… Did you know the head of the party was here?”
“Yes, I’m aware.”
“Did you see their face?”
“No. Should I go see it?”
“… Uh. No, I was just asking if you knew.”
“Yes.”
“…”
“…”
After that, the conversation fell silent.
Even if it sounded like trivial chit-chat, the thorns hidden within it threatened to choke me.
It was a fear that I hadn’t felt in a long while.
So we stayed in silence for a while.
“Confucius.”
“Huh…?”
Dang So-yeol gazed at me and spoke.
“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“…”
Swallow.
Here it comes.
My throat clenched involuntarily.
It was a fact I had temporarily forgotten while handling work.
No, it was something I couldn’t forget and was trying to avoid.
—I won’t let it go.
Dang So-yeol had questioned whether I was the heavenly horse.
And she even mentioned that this time, she wouldn’t let it slide.
As I recalled that moment, my body slowly went stiff.
As I stayed quiet in the room with no light for quite some time—
Ha.
A quiet sigh emerged.
“Confucius.”
“… uh.”
As I hesitated to reply, Dang So-yeol continued.
“Are you the Heavenly Horse?”
“…”
A precision strike that seemed unlikely to hold back.
My heart plummeted.
Only the darkened room and Dang So-yeol’s eyes were visible.
She was staring at me without blinking.
It was her determination; she wouldn’t let go if I didn’t answer.
“… Ah….”
What should I say now?
What excuse could I muster? No. Would making excuses even change anything?
Dang So-yeol was already sure of herself.
She might have been curious about my answer, but inside, she seemed to have made her decision.
All that was left for me to do was to choose.
Whether to lie knowing that Dang So-yeol knew.
Or to utter the uncomfortable truth.
It was simply a matter of selection.
But—
‘How?’
How can one choose that? My breath trembled within my quaking eyes.
I couldn’t do it.
I stood there for what seemed like eternity, unable to utter a word.
At that moment.
Swish.
Dang So-yeol suddenly took my hand.
“Confucius.”
The voice calling me was as calm as ever.
“I don’t know what you are afraid of, Confucius.”
For some reason, she wore a faint smile on her expressionless face.
“I actually like you more than you’d think.”
“…”
“You know. I know. We know how we regard you, Confucius.”
Me. Me, too. We.
The interchange of similar phrases within this context carried a great deal of meaning.
“If it had been normal… I was going to pretend not to know… But seeing as this has gone too far this time, Confucius.”
“… What did I do too much?”
I was baffled by what on earth I might have done to deserve this.
“You hesitated when you pushed me away, didn’t you?”
“…”
Upon hearing her words, my eyes widened.
She was right.
When I had disrupted the chaos while wearing a mask, I hesitated for a short moment seeing Dang So-yeol charge at me.
Though I had managed to cover it so it wouldn’t be apparent, was it that detail that tipped her off?
“That’s not the only thing I noticed. Normally, I shouldn’t have caught it… However, I suppose I’ve seen too much of you, Confucius, to remain unaware.”
“…”
“That’s why I was curious. Why on Earth are you standing there? What are you doing? It’s highly likely you’re not acting for your own good. That’s just who you are, Confucius.”
I wanted to dispute her. I’m doing this for myself! I’m way more selfish than you think!
I wanted to say that, but—
“That’s why I wanted to ask.”
“What…?”
“I… was wondering if I am someone who could hear words like that from you.”
“…”
“I’ve been curious if I’ve gotten a little closer to understanding what we don’t know… That’s why I asked.”
A smile broke across my face. As ever, it was Dang So-yeol.
Her usual expressionless face was replaced with something warm and inviting.
“But based on your reaction now, it seems it’s not yet time…”
If anything were different, there was a hint of hurt and disappointment swirling about.
“That’s fine. Not just now… but I believe it will happen one day. So I’ll pretend today’s question never happened. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about it.”
With that, Dang So-yeol stepped forward.
She went past me, yet suddenly, she stopped and turned to say:
“Oh, just in case….”
Her gaze shifted.
“No matter how you change, Confucius… It doesn’t matter to me.”
Her words pierced through me, and I moved without realizing it.
“When we first met, I liked you just because of how you looked… Anyway, right now… huh?”
My arms instinctively pulled her closer. Her petite figure nestled into my embrace.
“Ah, no…!!”
Dang So-yeol’s body trembled in my arms. Heat flushed in my chest.
The warmth must have enveloped Dang So-yeol’s face.
“This… this… That… Um…”
“Yeah.”
“… Huh…?”
“Indeed, that’s spot on.”
“…!”
I couldn’t bring myself to say I was the heavenly horse outright, so I vaguely nodded along.
Without even realizing it, those words slipped from my lips. As I watched Dang So-yeol pull away, my body reacted on its own.
“… And…”
I opened my mouth, hesitating for a moment before addressing her.
“I want to clarify, in case of misunderstandings. It’s not that I can’t speak because you aren’t significant.”
“Of course?”
Quite the opposite.
“I was scared you’d hate me for saying it.”
“What?”
“I was just too frightened to say anything.”
“… Why…?”
“… Um… That much. Well, it must be important.”
I was concerned about whether you would hate me for this.
That fear prevented me from speaking out.
It was still the same now, and I bowed my head.
Dang So-yeol gazed at me, her face flushed.
What kind of expression do I have right now? I couldn’t tell. I couldn’t even imagine what kind of expression I was making.
“So right now…”
“Confucius.”
The words I intended to follow were sliced through by Dang So-yeol.
She grinned, looking like she might burst at any moment.
“I love you.”
It was a sudden declaration—one that had nothing to do with our current situation.
“…Huh?”
But I couldn’t challenge it. I simply didn’t have the energy for it.
“I’m sure you already know this, but I’m serious.”
The moment I heard her say that, my mind went blank.
Yes, I definitely should have known it from the start. Not knowing would have been pure foolishness.
Yet, hearing it directly felt remarkably different.
As the cold sweat began to form, I couldn’t gather my thoughts.
“What about you, Confucius?”
Dang So-yeol turned that question back to me.
“What do you think about Confucius?”
“…”
Me?
‘I am….’
What am I?
The moment I contemplated it, my mind effortlessly arrived at an answer.
It wasn’t challenging to figure out since I already had the knowledge.
I just couldn’t voice it.
“I am….”
Just when I was about to answer Dang So-yeol—
—Do you know that?
A sudden thought rushed through my mind.
‘… What?’
It was a memory.
Yet, I didn’t know what memory it was.
Focusing hard, I soon heard another voice.
—What are you talking about?
It was my own voice.
Though a bit lower, there was a hint of laughter mixed in.
—I love you.
This time it was a woman’s voice.
—But you probably don’t know that.
—I know.
—I know you do. But you don’t know the details.
Was this just a figment of my imagination? I recalled exchanges that had never happened.
—I know very well. Why would you think I don’t?
—Because you wouldn’t know.
—I don’t understand.
—You don’t need to understand. Just know.
The woman continued with that.
For some reason, her words felt laden with sadness.
What did these memories even signify? Why did they suddenly resurface within my mind?
I couldn’t comprehend, so I frowned.
—I… I love you to the point that I would do anything for you.
—…
—I’m saying that, so you, blessed to have the love of someone as great as me, ought to live with gratitude.
—That’s extravagant.
—Indeed. I am something extravagant and magnificent.
—My self-esteem is unwarrantedly high… So what should I do to earn the love of such a magnificent figure?
—Hmm? You don’t need to do anything particularly.
—Are you suggesting I merely exist and allow myself to be loved?
—That’s fine. That alone is sufficient. But if you insist on doing something for me…
I couldn’t see a thing. I had no clue what context this was happening in or who I was interacting with.
All I could feel was the voice.
—Whenever you wish, call my name.
—… What a strange reward. Is that enough?
—That suffices. Trust me, that will be harder than you think. Wishing for it to happen… is going to be more difficult than you estimate.
—I’m good with that. I can manage that much.
—Really?
The woman chuckled.
—Great. I’ll trust you, then… That alone is enough for me.
—I can’t grasp this…
I chuckled too, feeling amused.
Then, out of nowhere—
—Hey.
The woman addressed me.
—Will you call me now?
—Now?
—Yes. I wanted to hear it.
At her words, the memory me spoke.
Without being aware of it, I murmured that name.
“…Ye-hwa.”
It was truly a name like a fleeting mirage.
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