Chapter: 611
Just after I thought of a way to find Namgung Bi-ah.
I wanted nothing more than to throw everything away and run out, but the information available to me was too scarce, so I had to endure for the time being.
Even so, I knew I wouldn’t last long.
After all, I had already reached my limit.
As I left the place where the princess was and stepped outside, the White Lotus Sword was waiting for me.
“Did you come?”
My gaze at the White Lotus Sword was not exactly kind.
How could it possibly be?
I had rushed to see the princess as soon as I woke up because she urged me to, but instead, I had gone through a whole lot of hardships.
Seeing my expression, the White Lotus Sword gave an awkward smile.
“It seems like something happened.”
“Yeah, I just went through a really shitty ordeal.”
Not only had I been subjected to an interrogation that felt more like torture, but I also dealt with a mountain of other crap.
If I had just been a bit healthier, I would have charged in and beaten someone senseless without hesitation.
It’s just regrettable that I couldn’t.
Thus, I didn’t harbor exactly warm feelings toward Baekryeongeom, who had brought me in for this little tour.
Even if it had been a while since we last met.
I immediately asked her as soon as I saw her.
“Did you know?”
It was a question laden with meaning.
Did she know that the meeting with the princess was intended as a form of interrogation?
Also.
“Did you know that he’s from the North Sea?”
That guy Woohyuk, from the North Sea, from a family called the Blue Wolf or something.
Did the White Lotus Sword really know about that?
As I posed the question with that intent, Baekryeongeom smiled bitterly and replied.
“I didn’t know why the princess called for you.”
“Do you know now?”
“If you explain, I will listen carefully…”
As if sensing something ominous, Baekryeongeom’s expression turned grim.
I clicked my tongue inwardly at that.
“Alright…”
You can’t keep demanding answers from someone who’s unaware.
You could press further, but in doing so, it would only be an outlet for my anger at Baekryeongeom.
“Please answer the next question.”
“…”
When I inquired about Woohyuk, Baekryeongeom hesitated.
“… It hasn’t been long since I met that kid.”
“So, that means it’s true, doesn’t it?”
“…”
Woohyuk really is from the North Sea.
Plus.
“Are you saying it’s true that he rebelled?”
“… Yeah.”
I gritted my teeth at Baekryeongeom’s words.
‘What was that brat thinking?’
When Namgung Bi-ah said she was going to the North Sea, I didn’t want to let her go.
However, when I heard that Goeseon, Baekryeongeom, and Woohyuk were going too, I felt somewhat relieved.
Even though Woohyuk was a weird kid, he wasn’t the sort to cause trouble.
I figured that even if something happened, they would manage to handle it somehow.
‘Who knew this brat would cause the biggest mess?’
My head started to hurt.
‘What kind of rebellion is this?’
What does it even mean to rebel in a country where everyone is living fine?
A kid who seemed to have no greed whatsoever is suddenly rebelling.
It made no sense at all.
‘What on earth is going on?’
What could have prompted him to do such a thing?
If it’s true that Woohyuk not only participated in the rebellion but also instigated it himself,
‘What was the reason?’
What could possibly justify such actions?
That was the first thought that popped into my head.
If he went to the extent of causing a ruckus like this,
There must be a reason behind it.
He’d always been that kind of character.
Ironically enough, I held on to that belief.
[Go ahead first.]
[Thanks for being my friend up until now.]
“…”
I recall the words and expressions he had shown me just before he passed away.
That freaking bastard.
Don’t forget me—not with a smile and a goodbye!
Shaking off my annoying thoughts, I turned back to Baekryeongeom and asked something else.
“Then, what about him… no.”
I hesitated, then furrowed my brow and spat out.
“What happened to Namgung Bi-ah?”
I hesitated to say the name directly but realized now wasn’t the time for that.
“… That child.”
Hearing my question, Baekryeongeom showed a moment’s hesitation.
She must know something.
If she doesn’t give me a proper answer here,
I would no longer be able to hold back.
With that feeling swelling in me, I looked at Baekryeongeom, who finally responded.
“Bi-ah was guarding the princess.”
“Guarding?”
I was taken aback by her words.
Guarding?
“He was acting as the princess’s bodyguard?”
“At first, he was assigned to protect the princesses and blood relatives…”
“Wait a moment.”
I interrupted Baekryeongeom, who was trying to continue explaining.
I had something to ask first.
“… Why was he acting as a bodyguard?”
Why on earth was Namgung Bi-ah playing the role of an escort out of nowhere?
I should have asked that first.
What was he doing as a bodyguard when he should have been training?
I had heard this before, but it was just so unexpected.
Baekryeongeom then said:
“I heard it was something your brother contracted directly with the princess.”
“If he’s my older brother…”
Probably referring to the Shaman Ghost.
That old geezer made a contract with the princess and threw Namgung Bi-ah into the bodyguard position?
‘What on earth was that guy thinking?’
He finally gave permission for her to go and then put her to work instead of training?
My temper started to rise.
Still, I kept my emotions in check and pressed on.
“So. He was also acting as the princess’s bodyguard at one point, is that right?”
I had heard.
That he was still operating under the name Baek Yeowoo or something.
“Exactly. He did that too.”
“Then why did it turn out like this?”
So, why is Namgung Bi-ah now missing?
If he was supposed to protect her, he had to stick close.
Why the heck did only he disappear?
“… That’s…”
Baekryeongeom’s expression grew slightly complex.
That look made me even more anxious.
“While heading hastily to a hideout in the aftermath of the rebellion…”
As she continued explaining, my expression soured.
If the princess needed to hide, she had to leave the palace and relocate.
Even under those circumstances, enemy forces were pressing in.
If things continued like this, the princess would be in real danger.
“He volunteered to act as bait. Is that what you mean?”
“…”
To make sure the princess could move safely, Namgung Bi-ah had willingly thrown himself forward to divert the enemy’s attention.
In that process, he is currently missing.
Is that what you’re implying?
Moreover.
“And no other traces were found where the battle occurred…”
It was a thought I had muttered to myself while absorbing the explanation.
I was furious.
That poor child threw himself into the wild for a bunch of useless humans in a land he knows nothing about.
Hearing it felt like nails on a chalkboard.
Conversely, my head began to cool down.
It bothered me.
I felt a strange irritation.
‘Why did he do that?’
Why did Namgung Bi-ah choose to be bait there?
Did he do that truly for the sake of the princess and the Ice Palace?
It couldn’t be that simple.
I assumed there would be some other reason for Namgung Bi-ah’s actions.
As my frozen mind churned over the question, I heard:
“I’m sorry…”
Through the cracks in my thoughts, Baekryeongeom’s apology reached me.
“If I had been there, it would have been me doing it, not that child…”
Her voice was heavy with guilt.
She genuinely lamented her absence instead of Namgung Bi-ah.
I looked at the White Lotus Sword and asked,
“Where were you back then, senior?”
Why didn’t you go instead?
That wasn’t a question of blame.
I didn’t doubt her intentions either.
I didn’t know Baekryeongeom very well, but I believed she wouldn’t resort to such unsavory methods to save her own skin.
“… At that time, I was shouldering someone else and heading to the hideout first.”
So, she was moving ahead while carrying someone who wasn’t the princess.
That meant she had been out of the group at that crucial time.
Then.
“What about Goeseon? What did he do?”
“…”
What became of Woohyuk’s master, the Shaman Ghost?
If Woohyuk had started a rebellion, where could Goeseon possibly be?
Given the teacher’s position, it couldn’t have been a good situation.
At that, Baekryeongeom responded.
“… Can you follow me?”
Instead of answering, she started leading me somewhere.
It wasn’t a far walk.
Just the upper level of the cave, a serene spot devoid of guards.
When we arrived, there was a single bed.
And lying there was someone unexpected.
Surprisingly, it was the Shaman Ghost.
The issue was.
‘What the hell?’
The condition of the Shaman Ghost was far from normal.
I couldn’t see his left arm anywhere.
The rest of his appearance was akin to someone barely hanging onto life.
“What’s happening here…?”
What on earth was this guy going through?
The Shaman Ghost was a master of Hwagyeong.
He could easily rank among the top 100 martial artists.
How did he end up in this state?
As those thoughts began to form, I heard.
“The day the rebellion broke out.”
Baekryeongeom elaborated, “Woohyuk appeared, covered in blood with the Shaman Ghost in tow.”
“That guy?”
“Yeah.”
My eyes widened in shock.
Woohyuk showed up with the Shaman Ghost?
“He suddenly appeared, left him in my care, and then vanished after muttering an apology. That was the last anyone saw of him.”
You leave your teacher, near death, in someone’s care and then vanish?
Especially on the day a rebellion erupted?
‘They said he was the one who started the rebellion.’
I simply cannot comprehend the logic of abandoning his master in a situation like that.
What kind of situation is this?
As I pondered in confusion, something clicked in my mind.
I immediately asked Baekryeongeom.
“I heard you carried someone on your back earlier. Was that Senior Goeseon?”
“…”
Baekryeongeom didn’t respond, maintaining her silence.
That meant it was true.
I quickly pieced together what I had just heard.
Baekryeongeom carried the Shaman Ghost to safety.
Meanwhile, Namgung Bi-ah later disappeared while acting as bait to mislead the enemy while moving with the princess.
Was all of this pure coincidence?
I thought that perhaps the rebellion had been planned precisely for that moment.
But looking at it this way.
‘Rather than saying it was coincidence…’
It felt more like an opportunity was engineered.
My head was pounding now.
If only Mo Yong-hee or Jegal Hyuk were here, things would have been much simpler.
I was struggling to make sense of everything with my limited brain.
It wouldn’t be fair to claim that Woohyuk orchestrated this entire sequence of events.
‘But he’s definitely involved.’
It was clear he had a hand in it.
And more troublingly,
‘The ending is unsettling.’
With Baekryeongeom and the Shaman Ghost gone, I sensed something strange about the events surrounding Namgung Bi-ah’s decision to become bait.
Knock-knock-!
With no desk to tap, I used my fingers to drum on my waist.
What’s going on?
Why can’t I reach a conclusion despite the clues?
What on earth am I missing?
As I sat there, deep in thought for a while,
Stop.
Suddenly, my tapping fingers paused.
“First off… The scouting is still ongoing, so you too…”
“I’ll just step out for a moment.”
“Huh? Wait—!”
I dashed out without hearing the entire story from the White Lotus Sword.
I had originally planned to check on the crew first.
But that had to wait.
I continued wandering through unfamiliar paths.
‘I can’t think straight.’
No matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t making any headway.
There was too little information, and the situation caught me completely off guard.
But.
One thing was crystal clear.
‘Woohyuk was involved in the disappearance of Namgung Bi-ah.’
Was this a conclusion reached from careful consideration of the facts?
No, it wasn’t that simple.
The answer that emerged was based on instinct.
It’s always been this way.
After lots of pondering, I always ended up where my gut led me.
And this was no different.
Purely instinct and educated guesses.
Yet somehow, I felt confident.
I was certain my assessment was spot-on.
So what’s the plan now?
‘What to do? I already told the princess everything.’
I need to go directly to the source.
That had been my decision from the start.
Approaching Woohyuk and questioning him.
The plan was simple: ask him directly.
Should he choose to remain silent, I’d just knock it out of him.
‘For that, I need to find out where Woohyuk is.’
If, as I suspected, his disappearance was linked to Woohyuk.
There was a way to track him down.
Woosh-!
A sensation drifted in from afar.
It felt as though someone was yearning for me, a flash of urgency that shot straight to my heart.
That’s the spot.
I might not know where exactly it is, but the sense of presence was unmistakable.
Whether Namgung Bi-ah or Woohyuk was there, I wasn’t sure.
At the very least,
‘The Thunder Fang must be present.’
Whatever she had, it’d definitely include the Thunder Fang.
Moreover, aside from a select few, the Thunder Fang was something you couldn’t touch, so it was definite there would be a clue about Namgung Bi-ah there.
Let’s head there first.
For now, I wanted to just move with that single thought.
[… Please—! Please open it—!]
A voice shouting echoed from somewhere.
It sounded familiar.
Not far.
Is it above this level?
Without hesitation, I moved towards the sound.
As I walked, I silenced my presence.
Thankfully, the path wasn’t too complicated.
After walking a little, I arrived at what appeared to be an entrance, where several individuals were standing guard with weapons.
What a relief.
I had no idea where to go, almost resorting to breaking my way out, but thankfully the entrance was right there.
I found it.
From that direction, I heard,
“Your Highness… You mustn’t do this—!”
“That’s absurd… That can’t be true. I need to confirm this myself.”
A woman with strikingly pale white hair was pleading earnestly with the guards.
It was Yuri.
“… There’s no way the Shaman Ghost would do that…! There must have been some reason.”
“Your Highness! That person is a traitor! How could you say that!”
“There’s no way he would have rebelled…! He promised me…!”
As Yuri cried out, one of the guards spoke.
“… It seems you do not fully comprehend the situation. Please escort her back to her quarters.”
They apparently concluded Yuri wasn’t thinking straight.
“Yes.”
The soldier who received the order reached out for Yuri.
Presumably, he meant to pacify her rebellion by grabbing her.
However,
That hand brushed right past Yuri without making contact.
The next moment, the soldier’s body dropped to the floor.
Thump-!
A soldier collapsed.
“What the hell…?”
The soldier next to him reacted in shock.
Thud-!
“Huh—!?”
At that moment, the man was struck and fell unconscious immediately.
“… Huh?”
Yuri looked astonished by the sudden turn of events.
She seemed to be struggling to grasp what was happening.
I took this opportunity to speak to Yuri.
“The words you just spoke…”
“…!”
Yuri startled as she turned to see me appear behind her.
There I stood.
“Say that again.”
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