Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Namgung So-yeon - Black Moon Sword (7)
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Namgung Gyeong was the youngest son of the Namgung Clan's direct line, gifted more with intellect than physical prowess.
For that reason, his martial arts level was not particularly high for a member of the Namgung Clan.
At just thirteen years old, he had only recently reached the second-rate level.
Considering that most Namgung children reached the first-rate level or the cusp of it by this age, his skills were quite impressive for an ordinary person, but not by Namgung standards.
However, the youngest son’s strength lay elsewhere—in his brilliant strategic mind, which excelled in formations, strategy, and tactics.
While the Namgung Clan’s expertise in formations was said to be inferior to the Zhuge Clan’s, they were still proficient, and his talent was fully recognized within the family.
He was the complete opposite of Namgung So-yeon, who excelled only in martial talent.
Despite their vastly different innate abilities, the siblings were closer than anyone.
Their third sibling, Namgung Hwi, tended to look down on So-yeon, but the youngest, Namgung Gyeong, was never like that.
He always greeted So-yeon with a bright face, and she, in turn, couldn't help but smile whenever she saw her youngest brother.
"Sister, are you allowed to be out here? I heard you got a huge scolding from Father."
"Ah, ahaha… My head hurt so much, I was just taking a little break."
"Hmm~ When you're really tired, just resting is the best thing to do."
He plopped down beside So-yeon and studied her expression.
Noticing her brother's gaze, So-yeon asked.
"What, is there something on my face?"
"Not that. It’s just that you look a bit more down than usual."
"I do?"
Namgung Gyeong had always wanted to be like Namgung So-yeon, with her free spirit and overflowing energy.
That was why he always paid close attention to his sister’s words and actions, and today, she seemed unusually listless.
Assuming it was due to their father’s nagging and the forced studies, he offered words of comfort.
"You must have had a rough time."
"Don't even ask. It's been so hard since yesterday."
"Well, that's what happens when you suddenly try to use a brain you don't normally use."
"Ugh."
Her brother’s fact-based assault made her scowl instinctively.
Seeing his sister's hurt expression at his teasing remark, Namgung Gyeong smiled slyly.
"It's okay. You'll get used to it."
"You're not making fun of me, are you?"
"I'm comforting you while teasing you. Just think of it as your little brother's cute prank."
"You used to be such a sweet talker. When did you get so cheeky, huh?"
She chided him, pressing her fists firmly into his temples.
"Aaaah! Aack! It hurts! It really hurts!"
"It's supposed to hurt! My feelings were hurt too!"
"Sorry! I'm sorry! I won't tease you! I won't teeease you!!!"
Only when her brother thrashed about, tears welling in his eyes, did So-yeon finally let go.
"Hmph."
Even after being released, Namgung Gyeong clutched his head, letting out pained groans for a long while.
"Ughhh… ugh…"
"That's what you get for teasing your sister."
"It never hurt this much, even when I pulled all-nighters studying…!"
It must have really hurt, as the corners of his eyes were moist.
The merciless violence of a peak-level martial artist was something a second-rate practitioner simply could not withstand.
It was, by all appearances, the picture of a close-knit pair of siblings.
The demonic sword simply watched the two of them in silence.
'They seem to get along quite well. In a normal way, at that.'
Siblings were often at each other's throats.
But contrary to this realistic relationship, subcultures sometimes portrayed them in a rather peculiar light.
Things like being sexually attracted to each other or revealing their darker sides.
Things that people with actual sibling relationships would never even consider.
However, that was just one facet of relationships, and not all siblings were the same. So, the Black Moon Sword was carefully observing the exact nature of Namgung So-yeon and Namgung Gyeong's bond.
If it saw anything it could exploit in their relationship, it intended to stir So-yeon's heart and make her run away from home quickly.
But the demonic sword soon thought that it might not have to intervene.
Namgung Gyeong, rubbing his sore head, asked So-yeon in a cautious tone.
"But Sister, you really are different from before."
"What is?"
"Before, I could feel your confidence even from a distance. That strange aura of being able to do whatever you wanted. But now, you don't seem any different from our brothers."
"I don't?"
She asked back, a look of surprise on her face.
Namgung Gyeong nodded in response to her question.
"Father and our brothers all have the same look in their eyes. The look of someone who has reluctantly accepted their fate. But you… how should I put it? You felt like the only free person in this house."
His candid assessment couldn't help but stir So-yeon deeply.
"I wanted to be like you, to have that freedom you have."
Namgung Gyeong said, his voice tinged with disappointment.
She had always ignored her father's words and did only what she wanted.
Because of that, she thought others must have seen her as just a thoughtless tomboy or a problem child.
But her youngest brother had admired her actions, seeing them as freedom. How could she not be surprised?
Namgung Gyeong was smart.
So, he could roughly guess how he would have to live for the rest of his life.
He could anticipate what hardships and adversities would come his way and what actions he could take to overcome them.
A predictable life, a predictable story, is no fun.
Deep down, humans harbor a desire for freedom, but they also carry a fear of responsibility.
So, while people yearn for freedom, they choose to become slaves.
They are often engulfed by the fear of how their choices will affect their future, of whether they will make a grave mistake.
When an authority figure appears at such times, offering an easy solution and presenting it as the right path, their minds become incredibly at ease, and they walk the path labeled "correct."
But a convenient answer is not necessarily the right one.
The right answer is found when you do what you truly desire, and that is often far from comfortable.
A small desire to forge one's own new path may stir deep within the heart, but the courage and strength to act on it are not easily possessed by everyone.
Namgung Gyeong had a brilliant mind, but he did not possess the freedom and courage that Namgung So-yeon held.
That was why he admired her.
He wanted to have his sister’s will—the will to constantly carve out a new, untrodden path, forsaking the immense authority and clear-cut answers of the Namgung Clan.
People tend to either excessively underestimate or overestimate what they do not possess, what they believe they cannot do.
In fact, Namgung Cheon's third son and Namgung So-yeon's other younger brother, Namgung Hwi, was the former. That was why he subtly looked down on his sister.
But contrary to him, Namgung Gyeong was too smart to deceive himself and admitted that his heart was with the latter.
Though he was still young, he had realized at an even younger age that he was a being protected, confined within the massive fortress of the Namgung Clan.
The great halls and estate of the Namgung Clan were the cage in which he lived.
His father and the head of the clan, Namgung Cheon, and his brothers, the direct descendants, had all conformed to reality.
They accepted their fate to be protected under immense authority and power, and to one day inherit and wield that power themselves.
That didn't mean it was a bad thing.
Giving up one's personal life for the sake of long-standing tradition and family well-being could even seem noble in a way.
But Namgung Gyeong didn't particularly want that.
To him, how special must a person like Namgung So-yeon have seemed?
The back of a bird, trapped in a cage, yet always gazing outside.
But feeling her eyes gradually wither, Namgung Gyeong felt as if his own dream was being extinguished along with hers.
Surely, for his sister's future and safety, remaining a member of the Namgung Clan was the better choice.
Yet for some reason, he wished she would make a different choice.
"Sister, I think you looked your best when you were doing what you wanted to do."
"……."
At her brother's heartfelt words, So-yeon fell silent for a moment.
A new wind blew through her overly complicated thoughts.
"Seeing you just stay still like this… I don't like it. Are you satisfied with this?"
Sincere advice that could only be given because he was a young brother and family.
Normally, one has to be cautious with life advice like this, even in a deep relationship.
But he could say it because he was blood-related and still young.
He was only thirteen. Still at an age where his own wishes were more important than the anguish of others.
Lost in thought after hearing Namgung Gyeong's words, the look in So-yeon's eyes began to change.
It seemed the scales balancing fear and courage were gradually tipping in one direction.
'That's right. Even my little brother knows this. Why am I hesitating so much?'
She immediately shot up from her seat, the Black Moon Sword in hand.
"Thank you. You helped me clear my thoughts."
So-yeon spoke, her voice as confident and free as ever.
Recognizing that the sister of old had returned in that atmosphere, Namgung Gyeong's eyes once again filled with admiration.
"…Now that's my sister. Wow, you look so cool!"
He said with a bright smile and an exaggerated tone.
She received her brother's cheerful antics with a relaxed smile and a reply.
"Hmph, I'm going to go have it out with Father, so watch me."
Watching his sister's confident back, Namgung Gyeong felt his chest swell with an unknown emotion.
Even though it wasn't his own affair.
One of So-yeon's many talents was the power to make others invested in her.
'…If only I could do that too…'
As he stood there, watching So-yeon's retreating figure, a dark sword at her waist suddenly caught his eye.
'Did Sister have a sword like that? How strange… Huh? Is that… an eye?'
A deep violet eye, as if filled with ecstasy, was curved like a crescent moon in a smile.
Startled, Namgung Gyeong blinked with a bewildered expression and looked more closely.
But the sword, as if nothing had happened, had its eye closed, revealing only a black orb.
"I must be tired too. Seeing things."
Namgung Gyeong let out a small laugh, closed his eyes, and lay down under the tree.
Unfortunately, what he saw was no illusion.
Namgung Gyeong had, in its stead, incited So-yeon to run away, and the demonic sword, finally able to see the story it desired, had its eye filled with ecstasy.