Chapter: 522
Should I send her away?
My mind becomes a tangled mess when I hear Namgung Bi-ah say that she wants to go.
If I have to send her…
Why should I send her?
The North Sea.
I wanted to stop Namgung Bi-ah, who was determined to travel all the way to that distant land.
Still, I couldn’t easily stop her.
The reason is none other than this:
“Eyes,”
Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes looking at me were clearer than ever.
The vacant look in her eyes had disappeared, and her blue eyes shone like jewels.
As if she had discovered her path.
It was truly hard to tell her not to go when staring into those brilliantly bright eyes.
One.
Still, I said something.
Please don’t go.
Don’t leave me behind in that faraway place.
That’s what I wanted to say.
Even if it was dirty and petty, I wanted to hold onto Namgung Bi-ah, even like that.
It’s a truly shameless feeling.
Having pushed it down so many times to avoid feeling this way, now that worry wrapped around my emotions like a sprouting seed.
This isn’t affection; it’s bitter possessiveness.
Because I’ve placed Namgung Bi-ah in my heart, that space grows relentlessly, and I can’t let go of it.
But.
“I have to go.”
Despite my pleading her not to go, Namgung Bi-ah looked at me with clear eyes.
So clear and vivid.
It felt utterly cruel to show eyes that she rarely revealed before.
Should I let her go then? Just stay quiet like this?
That can’t be.
You want to gain the strength to protect me? You want to head to the North Sea for that?
That’s preposterous.
“Who’s protecting whom?”
What am I rolling around for?
Also, what are you doing this for? Are you trying to protect me until the end of this life?
That’s nonsense.
I wanted to shout it in front of everyone.
“It’s not you who protects me. It’s me who protects you.”
So just stay quietly by my side.
I wanted to spit out such silliness, but I had to bite my tongue and hold it back.
This damn thing called affection makes me feel possessive but forces me to endure it as well.
So I couldn’t say anything.
One, not being able to speak doesn’t mean I can’t control my actions.
I stood face-to-face with Namgung Bi-ah.
“….”
While quietly observing her, our gazes met.
She didn’t shy away.
I stared into her piercing blue eyes.
‘…’
Looking at that gaze made me want to flee unexpectedly.
When was it?
When was the last time I looked at her so slowly?
I tried hard to remember, but…
‘I don’t think there was any.’
To my knowledge, there was none.
I have no memory of examining Namgung Bi-ah’s appearance in such detail.
Is that why I find myself staring especially deeply?
With hair lightly tinted blue, and pure white skin. There’s a subtle allure around her eyes, almost like they’ve been adorned.
Beautiful.
She was still beautiful.
As I quietly admired her…
“….”
I noticed the ornament adorning Namgung Bi-ah’s head.
It was the crescent-shaped ornament I gave her as a gift.
She’s still wearing it.
I had bought it so cheaply that it now looks a bit worn.
I really ought to buy her something better next time.
“Hah.”
Thinking that, I let out a short sigh.
Am I going crazy? Now I’m pondering such things.
A whirlwind of thoughts surged through my mind.
All sorts of erratic ideas crossed my consciousness.
I knew it.
The conclusion of all these thoughts was merely an attempt to ignore the reality of not wanting to send her away.
Is it because I’m aware of this?
It didn’t work.
There was no way I could dismiss such thoughts.
If that were possible, I wouldn’t have kept Namgung Bi-ah by my side in the first place.
She probably doesn’t realize how monumental a choice it was to have her next to me.
Moreover, I hoped she wouldn’t realize it.
Sling.
A cool sound pierced my ears.
It was the sound of Namgung Bi-ah drawing her sword.
I asked her while watching.
“Are you really going to do this?”
“Yes….”
At my question, Namgung Bi-ah nodded firmly.
Her posture was upright. Honest.
A duel.
Despite my absurd request, Namgung Bi-ah accepted it without hesitation.
There’s no way that’s feasible.
No matter how much of a genius Namgung Bi-ah is, this is a different realm altogether.
She must have surely understood that.
Yet, the reason she accepted is—
‘…It must be because of my lack of skills.’
The conditions attached to this duel were probably the explanation.
We will fight with swords.
Simply holding a duel like this is absurd, hence I added this condition.
Additionally, I tossed in a play on words that it’s not about winning, but about gaining recognition.
This was also my little trick to make Namgung Bi-ah accept the duel.
Somehow, I had to come up with something that would convince her as well.
Thus.
I would defeat her and force her to give up.
That was my objective now.
Is it cowardly?
‘I know. Something like that….’
I’m keenly aware of that too.
One, I just don’t want to send Namgung Bi-ah away.
Deprive me of the times I desperately begged for her to leave.
Now, I find it difficult to cope without her by my side. Even more so in this situation.
‘…I’m not in my right mind.’
I’ve kept this from everyone, but right now my mental state is far from normal.
In addition to recovering my energy, I needed time to grasp my altered emotional state and mental clarity.
Given the circumstances, I hoped that Namgung Bi-ah wouldn’t leave right now.
Whether it’s being called a despicable possessive person or being pointed at for selfishness, no matter what it was, my heart genuinely felt that way.
Facing Namgung Bi-ah’s sword, I too drew my sword.
It was a mundane iron sword, picked up randomly from nearby.
Wishful thinking would have me using my own sword, but that seemed like overkill.
Once I lifted my sword, I could feel gazes upon me.
It was the attention of the White Lotus Sword and the Ghost Team.
Their curious gazes were likely due to my strange decision to duel Namgung Bi-ah with a sword.
I can imagine they’re quite intrigued at how I plan to fight her using this.
From their perspective, this probably seemed quite peculiar.
The gap in skill is evident.
In the martial world, wielding a sword implies abandoning my main techniques, which broadly means fighting as if I’m armed with nothing but my fists.
I knew next to nothing about swords.
Even in a duel, I’d be desolate without any enlightenment and clarity of mind.
Using this would probably mean swinging it around aimlessly.
If I were to fight Namgung Bi-ah, who stands at the pinnacle of mastery, barring any unforeseen circumstance, I would surely lose.
At least, that’s how it appeared to them.
Namgung Bi-ah might have her doubts defined by my skills, not knowing I’m not as helpless as I seem.
Judging by the outcome of the match, she must also believe that.
But.
‘…Noya. Please take care of me.’
I have none other than the Volcanic Sword, Shincheol.
He’s someone who never loses with his sword.
A person who reached the stature of a hero through sheer skill with a single sword.
I even witnessed Namgung Jin playing with it as if teaching a child.
Once again, I’ll show them my skills with a sword.
Thinking so, I cautiously called out to Noya.
‘…Huh? Me…?’
Noya, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke to me.
That reaction struck me as amusing for some reason.
‘What’s with that reaction?’
‘No… Are you telling me to fight?’
‘So, who’s fighting?’
‘Look at this crazy guy! It’s your body, so obviously, you should be the one fighting!’
Noya spat out in disbelief.
Hearing that left me speechless as well.
“No! How can I fight? I don’t even know how to use a sword!”
‘Why are you saying that so shamelessly? If you couldn’t use it, you shouldn’t have decided to fight, you fool!’
‘Naturally, if I’m to use a sword, it’s only logical for Noya to step up!’
This had been the case up until now.
Hence, I thought it would be the same this time.
‘Ha… Hahaha… What should I do with this madman? Always trying to take the easy way out.’
Noya continued to sigh as if facing an unforeseen scenario.
‘I was just keeping an eye on you thinking you’d at least put up a decent fight… but truly, you’re the world’s most pathetic man! How can you do this to your fiancée?’
“…Hey, let’s save the scolding for later. Can you just help me this once?”
I could tell he was looking down at me, but even if I had to throw a tantrum, I had to make this happen.
Deciding so, I approached Noya to plead.
‘No.’
Noya firmly rejected my request.
‘Noya…!’
‘Even if you plead, it can’t be done.’
‘Why? You usually borrow from me just fine! Why pretend to be all righteous now?’
‘What the hell? When did I ever steal? And it’s not that I don’t want to, but I literally can’t!’
‘What do you mean you can’t?’
Unexpectedly, my eyes widened at his response, and Noya continued explaining.
‘Right after your body changed, I can no longer borrow your body.’
‘…What? What kind of nonsense is that?’
This was the first I’d heard of this.
It had only been a few days since I changed; I had never encountered this issue with Noya.
Just as I was contemplating what was happening, Noya added on.
‘I got so busy I just forgot, alright?’
“Damn it…!”
At Noya’s words, my mind went completely blank.
Noya can no longer enter my body?
Then…
“What am I supposed to do?”
‘Why are you asking me? You messed this up.’
It’s a disaster. I feel like I’ve truly caused a mess.
“…Are you kidding? Please tell me it’s a lie. Just let me off the hook this once.”
‘What, you’re saying some past patriarch has to vouch for me?‘
‘That’s not enough for me to believe. I’d expect that you’d do it without hesitation.’
‘Ha! If I could have taken your body right now, I would have seized it ages ago and done whatever I wanted… regretting that I can’t even do that.’
What the hell.
Hearing that, I really thought nothing could be done.
Dealing with this unexpected situation left my thoughts racing chaotically.
“What should I do?”
Seriously, what am I supposed to do now?
My pupils shift erratically.
Namgung Bi-ah seemed to notice and tilted her head in confusion.
“…What’s wrong?”
Namgung Bi-ah inquired, appearing worried.
Should I challenge her to a fistfight right now? That urge surged within me.
‘That might be too pathetic.’
“…”
Noya commented that it really wouldn’t be right.
I understood that too.
If I uttered that, I’d probably end up despising myself.
“…Then what should I do? I’ve run out of options.”
‘Why not just sword fight? Is that too hard?’
Noya replied, making it sound so easy—like he’s someone who could slice the sky with a mere sword.
If it were that easy, would I be hitting with my fists instead of picking up a sword?
“Maybe I should use Guijeong.”
The spirit tied to my left arm.
If I utilize this, it could change the game for me.
At least it’s better than this iron sword.
“No… Since Guijeong wouldn’t break easily, it might not serve much purpose,”
If you think that way, it’s not Guijeong but—
Swish.
I glanced at the brain in my other hand.
It was just after finishing a conversation with Namgung Myung back at the residence.
We hadn’t discussed much, but the conversation was substantial.
That might have been the problem.
Namgung Myung has remained silent since.
‘…In terms of efficiency, this might be better than Guijeong.’
As it’s a magical item that maximizes the user’s power, this would likely be more advantageous than the current stage.
“But I can’t use that,”
It slipped my mind as to why I couldn’t hold onto it.
This was a spirit item, and I couldn’t use it without the spirit’s consent.
“…”
I quietly gazed at the spirit, channeling some qi into it.
Taking advantage of the fact that I can touch it and injecting a bit of energy.
Noya shouted, “What am I going to do with that filthy energy?!”
The previously quiet Namgung Myung suddenly burst out, appearing furious.
I got caught.
I awkwardly smiled and said.
“I thought I’d give it a try just in case.”
Noya exclaimed, “Ha! Where do you get off touching it? Don’t even think about hoping for more! This can’t be used without my permission!”
Not only did I need the spirit’s consent, but I would also require Namgung Myung’s approval.
Tending to an irritable old man’s whims was no small feat.
It couldn’t be anything less than a hassle.
“Guijeong would have been better.”
In that aspect, Guijeong is advantageous.
At least I wouldn’t need to appease Noya.
But.
Maybe it’s an illusion?
While pouring energy into the spirit, I started to think.
‘I feel like something’s about to happen.’
It seemed like I was channeling energy better than expected.
Just as a precaution, I tried to pour in a bit more.
Feeling the shift, Namgung Myung spoke, annoyance lacing his words.
“Haven’t I told you it’d be pointless? I clearly foresaw….”
Whoosh—!
“Huh?”
[…Huh…?]
It took me a while to inject significant energy.
Suddenly, brilliant light erupted from the jewel of the spirit.
Woosh—!
Emerging from the light came a tremendous heat.
“…”
[…]
Namgung Myung, who had been quite vocal just moments before, fell silent.
I stared at the spirit in my hand and quietly murmured,
“Is this really possible…?”
—
There’s a next episode…!
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