GMLS Ch 25

“How did you two meet?”

“After I parted with Your Highness and entered Yeo Yullyeong’s mansion, Heukwol comforted and soothed me while I was feeling down for a while.”

I felt him flinch through where our bodies touched.

Why did he flinch? I couldn’t figure out the reason, but I knew his mood had soured. I became anxious. He was just starting to feel better, did I make some mistake again?

Just then, a lightning-like realization struck my mind. That’s it. He’s bothered that I was feeling down!

“He became a good attendant and a good shadow. Even though he was quiet, it was never uncomfortable. If I seemed even the slightest bit down, he would notice like a ghost and either hug me to soothe me or put sweets in my mouth.”

As I spoke, I got a little excited. There was the fun of telling him how well I had been living, and it was also the first time I had spoken about Heukwol in such detail to anyone.

At first, I had intended to convey ‘I wasn’t down at all,’ but it increasingly became a doting brag about Heukwol.

“And his skills are so outstanding that he leaves no trace or presence when he comes and goes. He is the most skilled person in the Ammukdan, he is.”

“……That’s enough. You’ll get exhausted before we even arrive.”

Muryun’s mood seemed much worse than before. I didn’t know the reason this time either, but he had told me to stop, and it was also true that the conversation had disrupted my breathing, so I finally shut my mouth.

At that very moment, an arrow flew from behind. My body reacted to the sharp killing intent first. Stomping hard on the ground I was running on, I threw my body diagonally. The blade pierced through the space where the back of my head had just been.

“Yihwa, are you alright?”

“Yes. I am alright. But it seems we have been followed.”

Only then did I clearly feel the killing intent surging from behind like a shower. To have hidden their presence until they got this close. They were no mere rabble.

“I will run.”

Muryun, held in my arms, drew his sword. Focusing his senses, he swung his sword towards the rear. An arrow, fired before I could detect it, was shattered just like that.

“Now that I cannot see, my senses are much clearer. I should keep this in mind for my training later.”

“That’s incredible.”

I was genuinely impressed. Could I really do that? Even after pondering it, I couldn’t immediately answer that it was possible.

I erased the useless thought. I ran, looking only ahead. The sparse trees with their gaunt branches also came to an end. Beyond that was a realm of bare rock, and a little further up from there, it would be nothing but white snow.

At some point, my exhales turned into white puffs of breath. It meant the summit was truly not far off.

The ground changed from soft soil to hard rock, and we emerged into an open area with no trees. As I narrowed my eyes, far away, the figures of two men standing on a rock came into view.

Our eyes met. Without exception, our eyes widened. Shading their eyes with their hands and watching us were Monghyul and Wi Junghyuk.

Ah, the Sangseon is watching over him.

I was about to call out to the two of them in a loud voice out of relief. That’s when a hair-raising sound reached my ears. It sounded like countless snakes hissing, and also like the sound of a bent bamboo forest.

Shishishishik!

Papat-pat!

As if they had been waiting for this very moment, a countless rain of arrows shot up from behind. There were so many that trying to count them was meaningless.

A fleeting moment stretched out long. The distance was just a bit too far for Monghyul and Wi Junghyuk to reach. There wasn’t a single tree to block them, and I couldn’t dodge. It was already too late to block them with my sword.

Even with Muryun, there was a limit to the number he could block by swinging his sword. Moreover, since he was reacting with his senses alone, there was no way of knowing where a blind arrow would strike and how.

I did not confuse my objective. If one of the two of us had to be safe, it was Muryun. The moment I recognized that, my course of action was set.

I immediately drew up all my remaining internal energy. There was no need to climb the rest of that mountain now. With Monghyul and Wi Junghyuk here, there was no need to worry about what came next. I thought about my usefulness. That thought gave me the answer to what I must do in this moment.

I gave Muryun no time to notice anything. I threw Muryun towards Monghyul and Wi Junghyuk, who were shooting towards us, screaming. They, who had been running, stretched out their arms in utter shock.

Muryun, suspended in mid-air, shot his unseen eyes wide open. Judging by his clenched jaw, he seemed to be looking for me. Slowed time slowed down once more. Gritting his teeth, he swung his sword while still in the air.

Whooosh!

With a tremendous roar that tore through the air, most of the rain of arrows flying towards me was cleared away. But the remaining ones rushed in as they were and struck their intended target.

Pupupuk!

My body pitched forward. My vision went black. My back and shoulders burned as if they were seared by fire. I couldn’t count how many had hit me.

Scraping the rocky ground, I gathered my wits. I stared ahead with wide eyes. Monghyul and Wi Junghyuk had safely caught Muryun. The two of them were looking at me with identical expressions. They were both deathly pale, which for some reason made me want to laugh.

“Yihwa! Are you alright, Yihwa!”

Shaking off Monghyul’s hand, he got down and looked for me. It was a call that coughed up blood.

At that call, I unconsciously staggered and raised my body. I looked down. My clothes were soaked with the blood that flowed from my upper body. Still, my legs were fine. A stroke of heavenly luck, I thought, and moved forward.

The second rain of arrows poured down. The figures of the two men beside Muryun vanished and then instantly appeared next to me. They swung their swords in unison and cleared away the arrows.

Monghyul held me. Wi Junghyuk went back, held Muryun, and continued climbing the rocky mountain.

“Damn it. How can no one answer? I asked what happened to Yihwa!”

I desperately held onto my flickering consciousness. I opened my lips, which were bleeding from being bitten too hard.

“I am here. I am unharmed, so please do not worry.”

The Monghyul holding me flinched, so I glared up at him with wide-open eyes.

Say nothing. Don’t say a single word. I alone will bear the sin of hesitating before our lord, so you just stay quiet.

“Then why did you not answer?”

“I threw the Prince and drew my sword to deal with it.”

I said, looking into the air. So that my breath, reeking of blood, would not reach him.

The places where the blades had struck were unspeakably painful and burned like fire, but it wasn’t unbearable. Perhaps because my consciousness was half-faded, the pain was also dull. For me, who had to speak as if I were unconcerned, it was a fortunate thing.

Monghyul and Wi Junghyuk, who had sprinted to the midway point of the rocky mountain in one go, came to a halt. Monghyul carefully laid me down on my side, and Muryun leaped from Wi Junghyuk’s arms.

“Yihwa. Where are you now?”

“Your Highness, your eyes……”

“I will explain about my eyes later. More importantly, where is Yihwa?”

“I am here.”

As I answered, I shoved Monghyul, who was next to me. Muryun came and sat down, almost collapsing, in front of him, who had knelt on one knee to set me down. Reaching out, he fumbled over Monghyul’s body.

Monghyul’s build was similar to mine. Still, normally, he would have realized right away that it wasn’t me.

But right now, he was in a state of panic, and his mind was preoccupied with confirming the truth of my words. With my face close to Monghyul’s stiffly frozen shoulder, I spoke.

“I am fine. Please do not worry too much, Your Highness.”

“Are you truly not injured anywhere?”

“Not entirely. When I saw Monghyul and His Highness, I think I was so relieved that I twisted my ankle.”

“What.”

Muryun’s expression instantly hardened as he fumbled with his hand and grabbed Monghyul’s calf. Monghyul’s face turned deathly white. I patted the back of the man who was breaking out in a cold sweat. It was a silent pressure to endure just a little longer.

Wi Junghyuk silently watched this tragicomedy that was no laughing matter. It was the most serious expression I had ever seen on him. He was thoroughly examining my wounds with his gaze alone.

“Therefore, please leave me here and go.”

“I will not permit it.”

“Please make a wise and rational judgment. I am perfectly fine, it is just difficult to run.”

“Monghyul. Carry Yihwa on your back.”

Monghyul, who was currently playing the role of Yihwa, couldn’t even answer and froze. Cold sweat flowed like water.

“Monghyul?”

“Your Highness, please go with Monghyul. I will remain and take the Captain of the Guard.”

Wi Junghyuk, who had been quiet all this time, spoke. When I turned my gaze, my eyes met his. We didn’t say a word, but we could perfectly read each other’s intentions.

“Let’s do that instead. After I treat my ankle, I will follow with His Highness’s help. Your Highness, please go on ahead.”

“But……”

“Go. In a case like this, isn’t it standard for two people to be in one team?”

I spoke with deliberate cheerfulness. Muryun’s intensity softened a little. Please, make a quick decision.

I blinked slowly. My consciousness was gradually fading. Fortunately, either because Wi Junghyuk’s offer to stay was a big factor, or because he was able to look at the situation calmly again now that he had some leeway, Muryun soon made a decision.

“Will you really be alright?”

“His Highness is with me, is he not? I am fine. It is not a major injury.”

“Alright. If that is the case.”

Muryun nodded. That was enough. Monghyul, who had taken a step back with a face of doom, soon lifted Muryun into his arms. He looked like he had something to say to Wi Junghyuk and me, but it was obvious he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth because of Muryun.

He looked like he might cry if left alone any longer, so I glared at him once more.

Don’t say anything. Don’t say a word and just go. Before His Highness the Prince notices that something is amiss.

“……”

In the end, Monghyul began to climb the mountain with the expression of a man at the end of the world. The strength drained from the arm I had barely been holding up. Wi Junghyuk, who approached in an instant, caught my collapsing body.