Chapter 413: Han So-Hye
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 413: Han So-Hye
“Come in.”
Choi Seulgi spoke briefly. Han So-Hye probably knew I was here. Having reached a certain level of power, that much would be obvious. The fact that she opened the door anyway suggested she might have something to say to me as well.
“Okay.”
The door slowly opened, and Han So-Hye’s familiar face came into view. The spear she always carried was nowhere to be seen, likely left somewhere else. More than that, she was dressed quite defenselessly. It looked as if she had come here wearing only her pajamas, probably on her way to bed before changing her mind.
“This seems to be the first time we’ve met in a private setting.”
“I did not expect you to be here,” Han So-Hye replied with a nod as I spoke.
Claiming she didn't know I was here was a rather cute lie. Of course she knew, but there was no reason to point it out. I studied her carefully.
It was the first time I had faced the Queen of the North in such an unrelated setting, and just as I was thinking how unfamiliar it felt, Choi Seulgi began to speak to her.
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“Unni, you can speak casually. This isn’t a conference room or an official meeting.”
“Alright.”
Only after Han So-Hye spoke did Choi Seulgi nod. She was more polite than I’d thought. It seemed she hadn’t lived like a complete ruffian in the North. With the two of them dropping formalities like this, my own position felt a little awkward. It was unclear what stance I should take.
“Blood Dagger, Great Tribe Leader of the Green Skins. I would like to speak casually with you as well. Opportunities like this are rare.”
“I understand.”
Han So-Hye nodded at my reply. She was clearly expressing her desire to speak without pretense. As we fell silent for a moment, I saw her looking around the wrecked room. She surely knew why it was such a mess. Having spent so much time with Choi Seulgi, there was no way she wouldn’t know her personality.
“Unni. Are you very angry?”
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
Choi Seulgi’s response seemed quite cold. What was interesting was that Han So-Hye appeared a little anxious at that reaction—no, it was more like she didn’t want to be disliked. Seeing that Han So-Hye react this way was quite unexpected. I was beginning to understand the rumors that Choi Seulgi was the real power behind the throne in the North.
‘Cute.’
The contrast with the image she usually projected was that significant. To think that Choi Seulgi had gone straight to the North after reincarnating and managed to win Han So-Hye over to this extent… she was a formidable woman in her own right.
“There must be a reason you came all this way… especially at night. Right?”
“Yes…”
“It’s not because those people are throwing a fit about you only discussing important matters with Choi Seulgi, is it?”
“They won’t know. I came after confirming everyone was asleep.”
She was quite thorough. But at the same time, it was also amusing. It seemed Han So-Hye was walking on eggshells around them. I suspected she herself didn’t know how things had gotten to this point.
“Unni…”
“What?”
“What do you think?”
“That’s a question for you to answer, not me. But I know, at the very least, that this isn’t the way.”
At Choi Seulgi’s words, Han So-Hye bit her lip. Her own position was likely quite difficult. While her wavering government had found some stability thanks to them, she might be flustered by the fact that she herself was now being shaken.
Watching her open and close her mouth, trying to ask something, I started to feel sorry for her. She might be feeling that her position was too much to bear.
A king who leads by fighting and winning is naturally different from a king who coordinates, controls, and balances power factions. Their actions and methods are bound to be different.
She was perfectly the former type of person; it was no surprise she was reacting this way.
“…”
She kept trying to speak, but the words wouldn’t seem to come out. Finally, as if deciding to change the subject slightly, she turned to me.
“Can you tell me what the position of Great Tribe Leader is like?”
She had suggested we speak casually, but it seemed this formal tone was more familiar when talking to me. The same was true for me; speaking this way was more comfortable than trading informalities with Han So-Hye.
“What I say may not be of much help. The position of Great Tribe Leader is a symbol. It is not a position of rule. It is a being who decides the direction the Green Skin race will take and stands above all other Green Skins.”
“…”
“My actions influence the other Green Skin chieftains, even the children. If the Great Tribe Leader pursues conflict, other Green Skins will pursue conflict. If the Great Tribe Leader seeks stability, others will also seek stability. There may be those who are dissatisfied with certain policies, but even they respect the Great Tribe Leader and try to accept his will.”
The position of Great Tribe Leader isn't like a king or a president. It’s fundamentally different from human leaders, who believe that humans must control other humans. We do not seek to control, nor do we wish to be controlled. We simply respect the will of others and try to act within that framework.
Perhaps, to some, Green Skin society could be seen as an ideal one.
‘Mature civic consciousness.’
Of course, it was a bit of a stretch to call it that. But in the sense that they genuinely follow their leader and are reluctant to cause problems within their society, their civic consciousness is incredibly mature. Perhaps the most immature one among the Green Skins was myself. When I finished speaking and looked at Han So-Hye, she nodded once more.
“In that case, you…”
“I don’t care what anyone thinks. It would be correct to say that I live without paying much mind to the opinions or media of other Green Skins.”
“That must be very convenient.”
“Not entirely. Queen of the North, I too fear making mistakes. I don’t know when the position bestowed upon me by Green Skin society might be taken away. An act without honor, an act that violates Green Skin tradition, an act for personal gain—I told you that even my most trivial actions have a great impact on other Green Skins. I am their manual. That is how important my actions are. And that’s not all. Other Green Skins also know right from wrong. One forges their own qualifications, but it is Green Skin society that grants the position. If the others no longer respect me…”
“If they do?”
“When that time comes, it would be right to step down from the position of Great Tribe Leader.”
As I spoke, I felt Han So-Hye’s expression relax somehow. Seeing that, I thought I understood what she had wanted to hear.
“Are you thinking of quitting?”
Hearing my words, Choi Seulgi’s face contorted. She, too, must have realized what Han So-Hye was thinking, so her reaction was natural. It was as if a daughter she had raised with utmost care to become a queen had suddenly announced she was quitting her job… Even I wouldn’t have felt pleased.
“There were no kings where we came from.”
“I know. I heard from Choi Seulgi.”
“I know that monarchism is a declining form of politics. I may be a fool who only knows how to move my body, but I also know that the king is not the master of the country.”
I didn’t know if she intended to hold an election for a president or something, but I closed my mouth again and listened to her voice.
“A useless king is the same as having no king at all. After the war ended, the North didn’t just stand still. Everyone put their heads together for various developments, and we actually tried many new policies and initiatives. Of course, I created and implemented them with my own hands. But instead of helping us, they are eating away at this society and causing great harm.”
She seemed to be talking about the time before she brought in her new cabinet. It appeared there had been various troubles in the process of developing the Northern Continent. Perhaps those repeated failures had caused her to lose confidence.
“The things I did to cover up past mistakes created new mistakes, and covering those up created yet another mistake.”
If what she said was true, it could be called a vicious cycle at this point. It was no wonder Han So-Hye had started to walk on eggshells around others.
“I make mistakes, too.”
“To hear such words from your mouth is absurd. Look at what you have achieved. You created a place that has become the center for all adventurers, and the development of the East is nothing short of astounding. It would be right to say that you were the one who first forged harmony between humans and Green Skins. You not only rescued the elves but also developed the Eveluse Kingdom into a nation with enough power to speak with us as equals. An era has come where one cannot speak of elves without also speaking of Green Skins.”
“…”
“And that’s not all. Even the games you all created are the same. You are the one who has created everything I could never achieve.”
I wasn’t trying to brag, but I wouldn’t deny it. Lee Wanyong’s contributions accounted for a large portion of it, but considering he was my vassal, her words had some merit. However, I wasn’t foolish enough to admit that so readily.
I swallowed once and slowly opened my mouth.
“Those aren’t words for the warrior who once laid me flat on the ground to say.”
“That is not what we are talking about now.”
“In the grand scheme of things, it is. It’s not just you. I have made many mistakes in the battles I’ve fought throughout my life. I’ve caused loyal subordinates to die, and there was a woman who died because of my indifference. There were always those stronger or more brilliant than me, and I avoided fighting them. My struggle was not one worthy of standing above all others. Rather, if you saw it from the side, it was a struggle that looked downright pathetic. A struggle of falling, collapsing, and rolling on the ground.”
“No one would ever speak of your struggle that way.”
“Didn’t you just say the answer yourself? The same goes for you, Han So-Hye. The work and the place are different, but you are currently struggling.”
“It will be impossible.”
“There was a time when I, too, thought it was impossible to become stronger than you.”
“…”
“Right now, at this moment, I am stronger than you.”
I wasn’t just talking about martial strength. I was talking as a person who thinks and lives. The Kim Taesung of my past life had admired her. He would get excited over stories and anecdotes of the strong, laughing and chatting about them over drinks. He consoled himself by saying they lived in different worlds. That it couldn’t be helped. That their caliber and talent were different. But the me of today is stronger than Han So-Hye.
However, that statement seemed to have wounded her pride. I thought she might not believe me. As she slightly furrowed her brow, I pushed everything I had at her with all my might.
FWOOOOSH!
She must have felt a sudden, immense pressure wash over her. Perhaps I even looked like a giant monster to her. Her expression said it all.
“You…”
I saw Han So-Hye’s face, her lips pressed tightly together. She hadn’t grown much since we last met. What I saw in her expression was jealousy toward me. Her face began to tremble slightly. In that instant, I withdrew everything I had.
And then…
Quite absurdly, tears began to well up in the eyes of the Queen of the North.
“Ugh… sob…”