Chapter 610: Biwegun (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 610: Biwegun (2)
“How are you feeling?”
“...”
Namgung Bi-ah offered no reply to his question. She simply watched the young man in silence.
“I’m only saying this in case you’re worried,” the young man said, pointing toward Namgung Bi-ah’s waist. “I wasn’t the one who treated your wounds. I had a woman do it, so you don’t have to worry….”
“I’m not worried.”
“...I see.”
The young man gave an awkward smile at Namgung Bi-ah’s blunt response.
“I’ll ask again. How are you feeling?”
“...”
This time, too, Namgung Bi-ah did not answer. Instead, she merely showed him the shackles binding her hands.
Clank.
The chains on her wrists rattled. As the young man stared at them, Namgung Bi-ah spoke.
“Untie me.”
“Haha.”
He couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at the absurdity of her demand. To think she would say it with such confidence.
“If I could, I would have already.”
“Then untie me now.”
“Sword Dancer, I am telling you that I cannot.”
“...Why?”
“...”
Why?
For a moment, he was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to answer that? Looking at the woman who asked with a face of genuine ignorance, the young man forced a bitter smile.
“Because this is the only way I can stop myself from killing you.”
The answer he gave, in turn, came back to tear his own heart to shreds. His words felt utterly pathetic.
“Don’t even think about escaping. Those aren’t shackles you can easily remove.”
“...”
Hearing this, Namgung Bi-ah’s expression shifted slightly. She had, in fact, been subtly testing the strength of the restraints. In doing so, she had realized something.
‘My internal energy.’
Whether it was because of the shackles or something else, her energy wouldn't circulate properly. Perhaps he had noticed her efforts.
“Your internal injuries haven’t healed yet, so just rest for now,” the young man said in a calm tone.
“...”
Namgung Bi-ah secretly relaxed the force she had been applying. Then, her gaze shifted as she began to survey her surroundings.
Woooong—!
The constant vibration of Thunder Fang was a nuisance, but assessing the situation was her priority. It was too dark to see clearly, but it didn’t feel like a simple prison. A certain sensation tickled her nose, and Namgung Bi-ah spoke to the young man.
“A formation?”
“That’s right.”
A formation had been cast over the space. She could tell that much, but she couldn't grasp the full extent of it. Was space itself distorted? With her energy blocked by the shackles, it was difficult to know for sure. In other words, there was nothing she could do for now.
“Hmm…”
Having reached that conclusion, Namgung Bi-ah suddenly shifted, lying down and adjusting her position.
“Huh?”
The young man let out a breath of disbelief. It was just so ridiculous. Namgung Bi-ah had simply lain down. As if she intended to just rest despite the circumstances, she assumed the most comfortable-looking posture in the world.
“...What are you doing?” the young man asked.
Namgung Bi-ah simply turned her head and told him, “...Going to sleep.”
“In this situation...?”
“...You said... you won't untie me.”
“Well, yes, but...”
How could she be so composed? It was completely unexpected. To think she would lie down without a hint of hesitation. Seeing her like that made his heart ache even more. He had to ask.
“Why... aren’t you asking me anything?”
He had to know why she was staying silent. Hearing his question, Namgung Bi-ah stared at him quietly. A heavy, uncomfortable silence flowed between them. She knew exactly what he was asking.
Why did you do this?
How could you create such a situation?
He was asking why she wasn't demanding answers to those questions.
“I... already asked.”
She had already asked during their encounter before she lost consciousness. And she remembered his answer from that time.
“You said you had something to protect.”
“...”
I have something I must protect.
Just as you do.
It is something I had to do.
That was the conversation they’d had.
“Besides that... what else is there...?”
“...Nothing.”
Those were the only words he could offer within the limits of what he was allowed to say. That may have been the best the young man could do, but to the one listening, it was a frustrating reply. Even knowing that, Namgung Bi-ah didn't ask anything more.
The young man simply couldn't understand it.
“Do you not resent me?”
He was the one who had targeted the fleeing Namgung Bi-ah. He had deployed troops to block her escape route. He had sent a general at the Fusion Realm or higher, along with dozens of soldiers, who inflicted both external and internal injuries upon her.
Was that also something that "had to be done"? The young man couldn't say for certain. To say it was necessary would be an excuse. To say he did it knowing he shouldn't have would be a pretext. Though he was the one who ultimately saved Namgung Bi-ah, that too was merely self-satisfaction, unable to overcome his guilt.
Namgung Bi-ah answered his question.
“...Not really...?”
She didn't seem to have any particular thoughts on the matter.
How could she not resent him? Just as the question began to form in his mind, she spoke again.
“You made that choice,” Namgung Bi-ah said in a calm voice. “I figure... you must have had a reason...”
“...”
Her words were filled with unshakable faith. At that, the young man had to wipe the bitter smile from his face. He couldn't even bring himself to smile anymore.
“Because you are his friend.”
Her words became a sword, piercing Woo Hyuk’s heart. No—he had decided not to call himself Woo Hyuk anymore. The memories of that time had to be kept in a distant place. Only then could he live in the present.
“Haha... Is your only reason for trusting me something as simple as that?”
“Do I need more?”
“Normally, you would need many, many more.”
Yes, far more. There should have been a thousand reasons to hate him. But for her, that alone was enough.
The young man erased the face of his friend that surfaced at her words.
“Sword Dancer.”
“Yes.”
“Do you still... think he would see me as a friend?”
“I don't know.”
How would I know? That was the feeling behind her words.
Of course, the young man thought to himself, No. When his friend found out about this, what kind of expression would he have? It was a thought he didn't want to entertain.
Whoosh.
A cool draft blew between them.
“...Then... what about you?” Namgung Bi-ah posed a question of her own. “What do you think?”
“...”
What about him? Did he still think of him as a friend?
‘I wonder.’
The young man couldn't answer. If he had truly thought of him as a friend, could he have done something like this? He didn't know. It was too late now. Too late to think about it. Too late to look back on the path he had taken.
Screech.
The young man rose from his chair. He didn't offer an answer.
“I’ll be taking my leave.”
“...”
It seemed Namgung Bi-ah hadn't expected an answer anyway. The young man turned and headed for the door. As she watched his back, Namgung Bi-ah suddenly spoke.
“...Still.”
The young man froze.
“If you... meet him, apologize.”
Thump.
His body went rigid at her words. Her tone was firm, filled with a cold emotion. She had been indifferent to her own situation and pain, but this, it seemed, was different.
“He’ll be in a lot of pain.”
“...In pain? Him?”
“Because he’s a soft-hearted person.”
Soft-hearted? That was the last word he would ever use to describe his friend. From the young man’s perspective, his friend was someone who would stand tall even if the entire world collapsed around him.
“If you make him cry, I won’t forgive you.”
“...”
Wasn't that an odd thing to say in a situation like this? The thought crossed his mind, but the young man didn't bother to argue. He didn't have the right.
“...Yes. If I ever meet him, I will be sure to apologize.”
He was probably in the Central Plains by now. If he were to hear the news later, and by some chance come to the North Sea, by then...
‘I’ll already be gone.’
He would no longer be on this earth. The moment was coming. It was something that had to happen.
‘I hope he’ll accept that as an apology.’
If he apologized with the price of his life, wouldn't that help, at least a little? Such a pointless thought occurred to him.
Creak.
The young man grabbed the doorknob, opened it, and stepped outside. As he walked out of the room, he erased the thoughts from his mind. There was only one thing that should fill his head now.
[Cheonga! Cheonga!]
A long time ago. A time when the young man was not called Woo Hyuk, but by another name. A memory from his happiest days. The image of a white-haired girl running toward him to play surfaced in his mind.
[Let's play!]
As if the boy’s circumstances didn't matter in the slightest, the girl would seek him out with a smile. It was just a simple memory of days that were nothing special—days that would have been a normal part of life for anyone else. A memory he had to cherish alone.
The day he left the North Sea for the Central Plains, the boy remembered the words he had said to the girl.
[If, just if... If I can survive and see you again.]
Even with an arrow in his back and blood streaming down, the boy looked at the crying girl and said:
[Then—.]
The memory stopped there, scattering like mist. The young man forcefully shook his head to erase it. There was no need to remember anymore. Even this was just an excuse—an excuse that no one would understand.
The young man began to walk again.
Thump.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the passage. Not a single lamp was lit in the dark corridor.
* * *
A full moon hung in the dark sky. The surroundings were pitch black, a clear sign that it was night. And it was snowing to a sickening degree.
“Is this fucking for real?”
I cursed as I pushed through the blizzard. Why the hell wouldn't this insane weather let up? The more I saw of this place, the more my affection for it plummeted. What kind of godforsaken land was this?
It was truly absurd. Did they say it snows all year round in the North Sea? Back when the Blood Demon caused his calamity, some incident had apparently occurred in the North Sea itself, changing the environment to this. When I only heard about it, it was just a simple, ‘Oh, I see.’
But actually coming here and seeing it was a whole other level of shitty.
“How the hell can people live here?”
The cold is endless and it snows at all hours, so of course, farming would be impossible. Then the only food source in this environment would be... hunting, right? It seemed there was no choice but to catch and eat something. But I questioned how many animals could even exist in this cold.
Seeing as people were surviving even in this situation, there must be some way. Whatever it was, it didn't change the fact that this was a shitty land.
SWOOOOSH—!
Thanks to the blizzard, I still couldn't see an inch in front of my face. I wondered how I was supposed to find my way in this environment, but in reality, it didn't matter where I looked.
Woooong—!
All I had to do was follow the vibration I felt from my heart. I adjusted my footing as I moved.
‘North from here.’
I changed my path toward the direction where I could feel the energy. Of course, no matter how much I moved, all I could see was the blizzard.
Looking at it, I muttered, “What a godforsaken, shitty piece of land.”
How could they call this land and live on it? I was about to lose my mind. As I was grinding my teeth and cursing—
“Ahem...”
An uncomfortable cough came from behind me.
“Um, even so... cursing like that in front of someone who lives here is...”
“What, you got a problem with it?”
“...No, sir.”
Just as I was about to fire back another remark, the woman shut her mouth with a sullen tone. Right, what could she say? If she said the wrong thing here, I’d just leave her behind.
Hearing her reply, I looked forward again.
“My luck is just the worst.”
As if my mood wasn't bad enough already.
“The weather is this shitty, and I have to carry this dead weight, too.”
“H-Heavy!”
Stung by my words, the woman’s voice rose.
“Well, what are you if not dead weight?”
“...I’m not heavy.”
She didn't seem to deny being baggage, though.
“Not heavy? Have you no shame? Then again, if you had any, you wouldn't have followed me in the first place.”
“That’s not...!”
“Ah, shut up. One more word and I'm leaving you behind.”
“...”
My warning finally silenced her.
Haa.
I let out a sigh and started walking again. The road ahead still seemed long, and upon that road...
I was moving with Yuri, the Second Young Lady of the North Sea.
Carrying her on my back, no less.