Chapter: 916
Gubong’s earnest plea to not get into trouble was so ridiculous that I naturally clenched my fist.
What the hell? What is that look in your eyes?
‘You’re making me feel like shit?’
My temper flared up. Should I just gouge out his eyes? Or should I crush half his face so he can never make that expression again?
While such thoughts darted through my mind,
“What is it? Do you have some business?”
The gatekeeper frowned at me.
“I don’t like your expression.”
This little punk?
“What can I do if I don’t like it…?”
“Didn’t I say the situation is urgent? Come quickly!”
Just as I was about to storm in, Gubong came and grabbed my wrist.
At the same time, he glanced at the gatekeeper and smiled slightly as he spoke.
“I’m sorry. It seems the priest is not feeling well today.”
“Priest? Who are you calling a priest—!”
“Priest, please come quickly.”
After that, he started dragging me along.
Honestly, I could’ve pulled away with sheer force, but I chose to hold back for now.
Then, just like before, words brushed past my ears.
“Those volcano guys are so cocky. Tsk.”
Hearing that made me frown.
This has to be it.
‘I guess there’s something going on.’
It felt like there was something I wasn’t aware of.
I was led inside by Gubong.
As we entered, the crowd looked much bigger.
Should I call this a crowd? I thought about it briefly, but it felt awkward to express it with any other word.
‘Anyway, there are way too many filthy creatures.’
To give an example, imagine Hanam during a festival?
It was very similar to that bustling scene.
In other words, it was an uncomfortably chaotic and burdensome atmosphere.
After weaving through the crowd for a while, I used some force to free my wrist.
“Let go.”
Thud—!
I forcibly yanked it away and turned my wrist slightly.
I spun it around like I was loosening something stiff and said to Gubong,
“Explain. What was that about just now?”
“…”
At my question, Gubong made an unpleasant face. He seemed hesitant to explain.
But then,
“Aren’t you going to say anything? Want me to stir up some trouble?”
But I wasn’t the kind of person to let that slide easily.
“… Ugh…!”
Gubong flinched, looking troubled. He should know by now.
I’m someone who means business when I get serious.
Recognizing that, Gubong, who had been hesitating, finally sighed and spoke up.
“… The volcano is not looked upon favorably from the outside.”
Not looked upon favorably? I furrowed my brow at that.
I was hoping for a more detailed explanation.
“I don’t know where you are from, Your Majesty, but in this entire world, the places that view the volcano positively can be counted on one hand. There might not be any at all.”
“Why is that?”
“… Do you really not know?”
“I’m asking because I don’t know. If I knew, would I be asking?”
I spat out my words while thinking to myself.
Ah, Shin Noya didn’t explain it to me properly.
That means,
‘Either he forgot to explain… or he intentionally left it out. Or…’
It’s something that shouldn’t be revealed.
It had to be one of those three reasons, but I thought the last one was the most likely.
‘But he didn’t even explain that to me?’
What? You expect me to figure it out on my own?
It was so absurd. I genuinely thought that old man must be crazy.
While I was mentally cursing Shin Noya, he continued.
“… A country can only exist with the permission of its owner.”
Gubong started to elaborate further.
“Permission?”
“That’s correct. This Yawol Palace can only be called a palace because it has the owner’s permission.”
For a country to exist as a nation, it requires the owner’s permission.
‘Does this mean the owner’s permission is more important than that of the people? Or…’
Is something even more complicated needed?
“But the volcano faction doesn’t apply, right?”
“… Exactly.”
“Why?”
“….”
Why is the volcano faction different? I asked with curiosity.
Gubong looked at me silently before speaking with a somewhat stiff expression.
“I can’t disclose that much.”
“What? You’ve been speaking freely until now—why the change?”
“Because Your Majesty is not a member of the Hwasan faction.”
“…!”
His tone was so firm it left me speechless.
Not only was his tone firm; his gaze and the conviction in his voice were solid.
“No matter how much you may be a guest brought by Jang Moon-in, this is a matter of the Hwasan faction and cannot be shared with outsiders.”
“So if I ask, are you saying you’ll get beaten up?”
“It would be the same even if your neck is snapped and your heart is ripped out.”
Hmm.
I nodded at those resolute words. He meant what he said.
Of course, the part about me getting beaten up was sincere as well.
“Alright then.”
I was curious, but I didn’t delve deeper. Even if I did, they wouldn’t tell me. I understood Gubong’s statement clearly enough.
‘Indeed.’
I was an outsider.
Shin Noya knew nothing about the volcano, which took over a hundred years to create.
Even if I felt empathy and kinship with Noya, it would be completely different from what Gubong or the volcano’s people felt.
This part was something I couldn’t pursue.
‘Moreover.’
Even if I don’t know now, it’s fine.
‘I think I’ll soon find out.’
Information would be readily accessible. The reason I was confident about this was simple.
‘Noya told me to figure it out on my own.’
The fact that the old man sent me here means I’ll understand without needing to seek it out.
He must have thought this would be more convenient.
“…”
Gubong looked puzzled when I gave up without saying anything, but this reason was sufficient for me.
With an expression that quickly lost interest, I asked him.
“So, where do we go now?”
“… Follow me.”
He resumed guiding me.
Cheonma and I entered the Yawol Palace.
I followed along, glancing around.
Most of the crowd had animal ears or tails.
Naturally, there were various ratios in between.
How closely do they resemble beasts? Or how human-like are they? That’s the gist of it, I guess.
‘How fascinating.’
Their appearance aside, the way they moved and the general atmosphere were not much different from those in the Central Plains.
Just as it had been in the street of the volcano crafted by Noya.
The streets here buzzed with heat and energy.
‘But the buildings look a little different.’
The structures lining the streets differed noticeably in size and shape from those in Jungwon. To me, they appeared to be entirely new forms.
Seeing this makes it clear that this is indeed a different world.
‘… Is this another dimension?’
This was a thought I hadn’t entertained before. This place is definitely different.
The unfamiliar air, sky, and even the appearance of the creatures.
Only now did it start to sink in.
So, there was a question that just came to mind.
‘How do we communicate?’
How does language work here? It was something I’d never thought about before.
Does communication still happen in this different world…?
This thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t dwell on it either.
If it works, then that’s great! It felt somewhat similar.
I passed through the crowd and entered an alley.
There were significantly fewer people here than before.
Accordingly, the atmosphere shifted drastically.
‘Hmm.’
Unlike the bright streets from just moments ago, a dark, damp energy began to rise.
Even at a glance, it didn’t seem like we were heading to a normal space.
I continued walking for a considerable while.
Then, a rather old-looking building appeared. While there were cracks here and there, it seemed to have been fairly well-maintained, looking relatively intact compared to the surrounding structures.
“… Is this seriously our destination?”
“That’s right.”
I thought it was a joke, but it turned out to be true. What’s the deal with this place?
Looking at the building with a puzzled expression, Gubong opened the door and walked inside.
Creeeak—!
As I pulled the door open, I heard the groan of an aging door.
That moment.
Whoosh—!
’Oh.’
The moment the door opened, I sensed an aura from within. As soon as I felt it, my eyes widened.
‘What is this?’
There had been no sense of presence until just now, but suddenly that changed when the door opened.
‘It doesn’t seem like a true law. Is this some form of witchcraft?’
At first, it was merely a guess, but gradually, it became more certain.
Did I really understand the subtle differences between divination and sorcery? I began to feel that something was amiss since witnessing the turtle’s power.
As I stepped through the open door, I saw four individuals inside, just as I had sensed beforehand.
Upon seeing Gubong, their eyes widened in surprise, and they bowed.
“Gubong Instructor…!”
“How have you all been?”
Gubong smiled and faced them. From their titles, it seemed they were the second generation of disciples.
The ones exchanging greetings turned to glance at us, who were standing behind Gubong.
“Uh, Instructor… who are these people?”
Hearing the question, Gubong flashed a slightly awkward smile.
“These are the ones who came to assist with today’s task. They are nobles of the text, so be polite.”
Upon hearing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“You’re the one lacking in manners, aren’t you? Right?”
“I don’t know.”
“… Ahem,”
Gubong cleared his throat as if he had overheard my conversation with Cheonma.
“If we’re talking about matters, what happened to that face of yours… Oh, by any chance, is Seol-yeong bullying you again…?”
“It’s nothing like that. It was just a small issue, so don’t worry about it.”
Judging by the mention of Seol-yeong, she presumably had a habit of taking him down a notch on a regular basis.
That’s interesting.
‘I feel like Gubong is actually stronger than Seol-yeong.’
But with that rigid and fiery nature of his, I could see why he’d be taken down a peg once in a while.
“Now that’s settled, are you all prepared?”
Gubong steered the conversation back to serious matters.
After all, the main topic wasn’t idle chatter, but procuring groceries.
Once he brought that up, the expressions of the second-generation disciples turned strange.
From their expressions, Gubong immediately asked.
“Why are you all acting like that?”
“That’s…”
“Speak up quickly.”
With Gubong’s urging, one of the disciples spoke up.
“Uh, it seems there’s been a problem with the White Clan.”
“What…?”
Gubong’s expression crumpled upon hearing the disciple’s response.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I heard there was a minor issue in the purchasing process…”
“Guide me immediately.”
Without waiting for the disciple to finish, Gubong spoke and the disciple began to hurry in leading the way.
‘What’s going on here?’
It seemed like something had gone wrong right from the start.
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