Chapter: 486
[How have you been, Myeong-ah?]
At Shin Noya’s call, the vibrations from the hand holding the sword intensify with a hum.
Perhaps because it was an unexpected situation, Goeseon’s expression was particularly worth a look.
[Shincheol.]
A cold voice comes into my ear.
Is this voice Namgung Myung’s voice?
‘Hey.’
To put it bluntly, it felt like he could kill a person with just his voice.
With this type of speech and tone, was it really the same face as a ghost?
‘The women must have blinked and passed out.’
Leaving behind that frosty voice, if he’s looking like that, it definitely wouldn’t be good.
“Hmm.”
Goeseon tilted his head for a moment, seemingly caught off guard.
“You seem to be able to hear it too.”
I asked him cautiously.
Is this a question for whether he can hear Namgung Myung’s voice?
That means…
‘So Goeseon can hear it as well.’
Glance.
I looked over at Woohyuk beside me, but he frowned as if he couldn’t hear anything at all.
“Master, what do you hear…?”
“Disciple.”
“Yes.”
Goeseon spoke while observing Woohyuk, who was looking bewildered.
“Please step aside for a moment. I have something to say to your friend.”
At Goeseon’s words, Woohyuk widened his eyes for a moment and looked back and forth between me and Goeseon.
His expression reflected that he didn’t understand the situation at all.
But…
“Understood.”
Woohyuk just got up without saying anything more.
He might have wondered why, but it seems the teacher’s words are more important right now.
With a slightly regretful look on his face, Woohyuk lightly jumped and disappeared into the distance.
I was left alone with Goeseon, making eye contact.
When a rather awkward feeling began to creep in.
“It’s a bit strange since it’s my first time experiencing something like this,” Goeseon spoke first.
“What is the situation?”
Woof-!
The brain still vibrates with a thrum.
I had to think about Goeseon’s comment for a moment.
‘What should I do?’
What should I say?
It’s a somewhat ambiguous situation.
I had long anticipated that Namgung Myung would be inside this brain.
When I visited Great Namgung Se-ga regarding my last engagement, I had heard a voice, which I presumed was left by Namgung Myung.
Because I was told to search for the brain there.
‘These were also words left for Shin Noya.’
Since I already knew that their traces were left in the ghosts and records, predicting that Namgung Myung’s thoughts would also be present in the brain wasn’t too difficult.
‘That’s true, but…’
Something feels different. The past thoughts I’ve encountered so far and Namgung Myung felt distinct.
With that in mind, I cautiously asked.
“… The person over there. Are you, by any chance, Senior Namgung Myung?”
“Huh?”
The first to react to my words was Goeseon. It seemed he hadn’t expected Namgung Myung’s name to come out of my mouth.
“How could you…?”
Just as Goeseon frowned slightly and was about to speak, I heard Namgung Myung’s voice.
[Because you didn’t show up until this late.]
[Given your shortcomings, I thought there would be problems. You look quite disheveled, huh?]
[Myeong-ah, I don’t think that’s something you should be saying.]
Unlike Shin Noya’s voice, which was full of laughter, Namgung Myung’s tone remained icy.
Is that how he normally sounds?
[Why did you end up like that, Shincheol?]
[There were quite a few circumstances here.]
[What is that guy?]
When he said “that guy,” is he referring to me?
[This guy is a sort of successor to me, or something similar.]
I inwardly clicked my tongue at Shin Noya’s answer. What does he mean by similar?
It seems that Namgung Myung also finds Noya’s words questionable.
[You made someone who isn’t even a prosecutor your successor? Shincheol. Are you really out of your mind?]
[I’m not a disciple; I just followed his intent.]
[What an outlandish idea. Are you truly going senile?]
While Namgung Myung’s sharp words kept coming, Goeseon, who had the most bizarre expression, spoke up.
“Inspiration, who the hell are you talking to?”
‘…!’
Goeseon’s words caught me off guard.
It appears that Goeseon cannot hear Shin Noya’s voice.
‘So, does it mean Goeseon can only hear Namgung Myung’s voice?’
It seemed that Goeseon could only hear one voice, unlike the two of us.
This time, I spoke to Namgung Myung, concealing my reaction to the valuable information.
“When I visited Namgungga, I heard my senior’s voice there.”
[What?]
Namgung Myung reacted upon hearing my words.
I sensed that he understood what I meant.
“You said, ‘find the brain.’ You clearly said so.”
[…]
To be precise, it was meant for Shin Noya, but since I came with him, it shouldn’t matter.
With all the work piled up, I didn’t have the luxury to worry about such details.
[It’s not that I’m just ignoring you because you’re annoying, right?]
‘Just stay quiet for a moment….’
Amidst all this, he’s interrupting me.
“So…”
[I don’t remember.]
“…Yes?”
I was about to start talking, indicating that I had come to hear him.
Namgung Myung suddenly cut me off.
You don’t remember…?
“Senior?”
[I have no memory of that. Since I have nothing to say about it, just go back now.]
This was an unexpected turn of events.
I thought that if I brought this up, Namgung Myung would clarify the situation.
You’re telling me to go back because you don’t remember?
‘What in the….’
What a ridiculous situation.
In this case, how am I supposed to hand over the brain to Namgung Bi-ah?
As my mind turned a bit hazy in confusion, Goeseon spoke up with a perplexed expression.
“Inspiration, shouldn’t you tell me what’s going on? I don’t understand…”
[Send him back.]
“What?”
[I said, send him back.]
“What the hell are you suddenly talking about?”
[If he won’t leave on his own, use force to send him away.]
“Ha, are you losing it again? Haven’t I always said so? Either explain yourself properly or don’t talk at all…”
Thud.
The vibrating brain ceased its tremors after those words.
The moment Goeseon noticed this, his expression twisted.
“Damn it. That old bastard’s personality, how does it stay consistently awful? What’s the ghost doing? Why isn’t he grabbing this troublesome old man?”
[Myeong-i’s descendants certainly speak straightforwardly. I quite like it.]
“…”
I sighed while observing Noya chuckling at Goeseon’s words.
‘Is it not the time to be laughing?’
[Then, isn’t it also not the time to cry?]
‘No, we need to talk. Shouldn’t it go like that?’
Why was Namgung Myung left in the brain, and why did he leave such thoughts in the Namgung family?
Isn’t this the kind of matter I ought to be asking about?
Hearing my thoughts, Noya chuckled as if amused.
[No, since when did the brat who arrived to take my brain and give me his own nonsense think conversations were important?]
“…”
Cough.
He certainly made a valid point that left me speechless.
‘…You said you would help me, though.’
[Didn’t I help? I called him, but he refuses to speak. What should I do?]
What’s going on here?
Why is this old man so relaxed?
Something felt off. Shin Noya would never act so casually in a situation like this.
‘Noya.’
[Hmm?]
‘…It seems you have something planned, don’t you?’
[Heh-heh.]
If it weren’t for that, I couldn’t fathom Noya’s behavior.
Even though this old man had a notoriously bad temper and was hardly the likable type.
‘Well, I have to at least recognize one ability of yours.’
The more I got to know, the more apparent it became that Shin Noya’s achievements were boundless.
Tales that would be overwhelming for an average person to achieve in a lifetime.
That was something Shin Noya handled effortlessly.
[Anyway, you are quick to catch on to certain things.]
‘…’
[Since today is just about confirming things, like Myeong-i said, let’s go back. Staying here any longer will only provoke him.]
‘But…’
[This is a matter to be understood.]
Shin Noya’s tone, which used to be filled with laughter, now carries an understated solemnity.
[It’s something I might have acted on too.]
‘…What do you mean?’
[Though I’m not certain, I’ll share more details later; for now, let’s just return as Myeong-i suggested.]
‘…’
[I have plenty to tell you a well.]
Similar to what Dang Je-mun had mentioned the other day.
Could that be what Noya meant by suggesting that he has much to say to me?
‘It feels uncomfortable.’
With this unsettling feeling, I couldn’t shake off the discomfort.
It didn’t feel like I had an alternative.
‘You told me to leave, so why is this the case?’
Namgung Myung’s attitude and feelings eluded my understanding, but from the lack of intent to talk, it seemed there was no way around it.
“Hmm.”
Similarly, Goeseon continued to look at me with a puzzled expression on his face.
Judging by the fact that he didn’t ask any further, he seemed inclined to follow Namgung Myung’s words.
What this signified was…
‘If you don’t leave, there’s a chance they might forcibly remove you.’
It was a disappointing unfolding of a rather unfriendly situation right from our first encounter.
Someday, I would have to retrieve the brain… or rather, bequeath it, especially when I was in a position to receive it.
[… Are you sure the thought of not taking it isn’t in your head?]
‘I can’t just give that up.’
As it happens, I recently saw the Demon Sword Master who held on to the brain.
Given how much the availability of the brain mattered to Namgung Bi-ah, I knew I couldn’t simply forsake it.
‘I need to gently introduce the items one at a time.’
While I’d prefer to take care of everything myself.
I acceptance that I wasn’t at that level yet.
At the very least, I wanted to prepare them to protect their own bodies.
‘Not just for Namgung Bi-ah.’
I also needed to get my hands on what Wi Seol-ah had been contemplating.
And I had something in mind to give to Mo Yong-hee and Dang So-yeol as well.
[You don’t seem like the type to do that. Yet, you’re so diligently trying to gather it all.]
‘I don’t seem like the type? What do you mean by that?’
Do you think I look so unkind?
Don’t compare me to an angry lynx!
[What the heck are you?]
“…I apologize for dropping by suddenly when you must be busy.”
Regardless of how Noya reacts, I ignored him and expressed my regards to Goeseon.
“I think now isn’t the right time, so I’ll be leaving.”
“…Um… okay.”
“I’ll be sure to visit again soon.”
Having made my intentions clear, I prepared to leave.
I had every intention of returning, keen to not give up.
It appeared Goeseon was also curious about our conversation.
He remained silent about me coming back.
With a sense of regret, I turned around.
I then leapt through the forest, making my escape.
While I felt the odd sensation of Goeseon’s gaze lingering on me, I soared into the air without glancing back.
‘The sleeping dragon? It’ll find its way back eventually.’
That fellow might be a little clueless, but I trusted he’d make it back somehow.
It had been a while since meeting my teacher; surely, there were conversations to be had.
I thought that, unaware that…
…Woohyuk didn’t know the route back, implying that a journey that should take only an hour would take him two days to complete.
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