GMLS Ch 19

“H-H-How……”

“A bug that doesn’t even know it’s a bug dares to call me a bug. Three years isn’t a short time, is it?”

Ah. He was bothered by being called a bug. Well, even if he had been through the wringer and confined, a prince is a prince. Where would he have ever heard such harsh words?

“Aaargh!”

“Kuhuk!”

The remaining two met their end at the swords of Monghyun and Wi Junghyuk. The pale-faced warrior staggered backward. There was no need to see any more.

Following Heukwol, who had started cleaning up a step ahead, I began to clear away the corpses and erase the traces. Monghyun and Wi Junghyuk also helped. During battle, their coordination was better than anyone else’s. It was truly surprising.

They both reached for the same corpse. The two of them paused, raised their heads, and their gazes met. I had seen a similar scene before. To be precise, I had read it. In a collection of folk tales (民譚集) that Heukwol had lent me.

A lotus pond on the first night of the month, with no moon. A warrior who concealed his clan and a princess who hid her identity met. The princess, facing an arranged marriage, confessed her farewell, unable to reveal the truth.

If that is your will, then your will is my will. The taciturn and steadfast warrior, not wanting to make the grieving princess even sadder, silently nodded.

The princess gave the warrior an ornamental trinket. This is a trinket my mother gave me. She gave it to me, wishing for my happiness, so I too give it to you, wishing for your happiness. The scene where, after saying that, they absurdly drop the important, precious, and very cherished trinket and both grab it at the same time.

“……”

Of course, this place is a rugged mountain, the two protagonists are dark men in black martial arts uniforms, and what they were trying to pick up was a corpse bleeding profusely, but still, the context is similar—

“You are a hindrance at every turn.”

“Hah! Look who’s talking!”

-it’s not.

Sparks flew in the air. I wondered if they would start a sword fight right then and there, but thankfully, perhaps because of their previous experience, they turned their backs with a huff and went to deal with different corpses.

Sighing, I cleaned up the corpse they had abandoned and left behind. In any case, we all serve the same master. Can’t we just get along?

I glanced at Wi Junghyuk. I couldn’t say anything about Monghyun as I still knew little about him. But Wi Junghyuk was different. The Captain of the Imperial Guard I knew was not that kind of person. He was taciturn and serious, and though he possessed outstanding skills, he wasn’t boastful. He was exactly like the warrior in the folk tale.

Such a Wi Junghyuk said.

“……You water strider-like bastard.”

“What? You ignorant helmet-bug-like thing!”

Why are they being like that, really? I looked at the two who were bickering again in a flash with blurry eyes.

Heukwol, who keenly noticed my mood, tugged at my sleeve. Then he stroked my head with his palm. I whined weakly like I used to at the manor.

“Mhm. Yeah. You’re really the only one.”

I pressed my head into his hand like a cat.

“Yihwa!”

It was a call like a thunderbolt. Surprised, I turned to see Muryun, who had dismembered that guy limb from limb, looking at me. Was it the aftereffect of being called a ‘bug’? Or was he upset about the ambush itself? The culprit was dead, but he looked even more displeased than before.

‘What is it? Did I make a mistake while fighting just now? Gasp, could he have seen that one of my steps went astray?’

It was my first battle as his sword. Even if I tried to calm down, I couldn’t help but feel excited. My hasty heart was revealed in my feet.

But I hadn’t made any other big mistakes. Could he be disappointed that I hadn’t even mastered the basics? He wouldn’t take back his offer to have me by his side now, would he?

“Your Highness, is there anything you wish to command……”

I asked cautiously, feeling anxious. My hands naturally came together in a polite gesture. The end of my words crawled into the back of my throat. I waited for his words with teary eyes.

Muryun covered his mouth with his hand and slightly averted his gaze. My heart sank. I couldn’t understand what kind of reaction that was at all. Muryun cleared his throat with a ahem. When he looked at me again, he was the usual Muryun.

Ah, he just had a cough. I was relieved.

“You don’t need to work so hard. Just toss the corpses roughly into the bushes.”

Muryun looked at the sky.

“It’s going to rain soon. Let’s hurry a bit more.”

Just as he said, no sooner had we set off again than the rain poured down. It was a downpour, as if we were standing under a waterfall. The dense leaves were of no use. It was so bad we couldn’t see in front of us, so we ended up going into a small space under a large rock.

Muryun took a seat in the innermost part, and Monghyun and Wi Junghyuk quickly occupied the spaces on either side of him. Naturally, Heukwol and I sat at the edge. The space was a bit tight, so my toes and Heukwol’s shoulder stuck out slightly.

Still, it was lucky to find a place like this. Thanks to the fabric of the Black Scale Silkworm, the actually wet areas were few. On top of that, once one reached a level where they could circulate their internal energy as if breathing, controlling body temperature was easy. There was no one in this party who couldn’t do that.

“……”

As I drew up my internal energy, I felt an unusual presence. It was not from outside the cave, but from inside. Was it because of the unexpected situation? Muryun was openly showing his displeasure. He seemed to be in a worse mood now than when he was ambushed.

Monghyun suddenly jumped up from his seat and said.

“Captain of the Guard, please sit here.”

“Pardon?”

“It would be better for me, with my good night vision, to guard the outside.”

There were so many things to point out that I couldn’t answer right away. It was broad daylight now. Besides, visibility was also poor due to the torrential rain. It would be much better to sharpen one’s senses and detect something by feeling it.

What is it? Is it some kind of password?

As I hesitated, unable to understand, he, unable to watch any longer, came over and pushed me, telling me to go over there. Pushed by surprise, I went deeper into the cave. Muryun’s arm was right next to me.

I didn’t think it was close enough to touch when I looked earlier. Did I see this wrong too? I really need to get a grip. It’s only just after the first battle, and I’m already so out of it. Reproaching myself, I stole a glance at my master’s face. Muryun’s expression was calm, as if nothing had happened.

I was inwardly impressed. As expected, one who has served for a long time is different. I don’t know what it was, but Monghyun had pinpointed the exact reason for his displeasure. When will I be able to do that? I was very envious and a little upset, so I kept glancing at Monghyun.

“In this state, the 2nd and 3rd Princes can’t move either. We’ll wait for the rain to weaken.”

But the rain continued to pour for a whole day after that. Torrential rain in the north, and in this season at that. It was truly a strange thing. At night, the rumbling sound of thunder was occasionally mixed with the sound of the mountain collapsing. It was not good.

“A landslide? That’s not good.”

Muryun had the same thought. It was dangerous to move at a time like this.

In the end, our schedule was delayed more than expected. On the fifth day, when we should have arrived according to our original goal, we were still in the cave.

I opened my eyes, which had been closed. I stared intently through the rain that hadn’t subsided in the slightest.

“What is it?”

Muryun asked.

“I feel something like a presence……”

I looked around at the party. Muryun was the first to shake his head.

“I did not feel it.”

Monghyun and Wi Junghyuk also denied it.

“I didn’t feel it.”

“I don’t know.”

When even Heukwol, who had quietly raised his head, shook his head, I was unsure if I had really felt it wrong. Still, I couldn’t just let it go. A strange nagging feeling held me back.

“I will go and check myself. It’s highly likely that it’s my mistake, so I’ll go alone.”

“Monghyun. Go with him.”

Monghyun jumped up from his seat.

“No, it’s alright. Please rest. I am sufficient on my own.”

“I forbid it. In a case like this, a team of two is the standard.”

“……In that case, I will go with Heukwol.”

As Heukwol stood beside me with a slither, as if he had been waiting, Muryun’s aura grew hostile. Why on earth… I was about to say, but I shut my mouth. I didn’t know the reason, but Muryun did not take kindly to Heukwol.

“I will be back quickly.”

Two black walking sticks are enough for all the bickering. I came out, half-running away, when a jade-like voice from behind caught my feet.

“Three is better than two.”

Monghyun quietly followed with an expression that said, ‘Yes, well, of course that would be the case.’ Wasn’t a team of two the standard? Since I couldn’t say that, I ended up taking flight with the discomfort.

When we had moved about five leagues, I thought, this is a wild goose chase. All around was quiet. Even the animals were not coming out of their homes due to the ceaseless downpour. I had done something unnecessary.

I got excited and jumped the gun again. Feeling sorry to Monghyun and Heukwol, I was about to suggest we go back when their expressions changed in an instant.

As if on cue, we erased our presence in an instant. After running another three leagues, we found a very simple rain shelter made by tying a large cloth to a tree over a clearing. In the center of the fifteen men huddled under it was the 2nd Prince.

Exchanging a look with Monghyun, we silently left the scene. The rain beating on my back intensified once more.

Returning to the cave, I reported.

“They’ve come this far already. They must have pushed themselves to move in this rain.”

If so, we too had to push ourselves and get a step ahead. The faces seen under the tent were much more exhausted than those we had met. It was likely that after moving to the very last of the 2nd Prince’s limits, the place they settled was that clearing.

“First of all, well done, Yihwa. Your senses are excellent. When no one else noticed.”

Muryun praised me highly. The eyes of the group all gathered on me. Heukwol also stared at me intently. To others, it was his usual expressionless face, but he was actually feeling proud.

“Thanks.”

Heukwol nodded. Wi Junghyuk, who had been quietly watching what we were doing, spoke lightly.

“Is he extremely taciturn? Or is there some other reason? Quite a few days have passed since we shared the same goal, yet I have not heard his voice even once.”