Drawing the Line
Our gazes clashed in the empty air.
Shwaaa—! Rain poured down, slicing between us.
Cheon Doseong had said it plainly.
'You're in danger right now. About this close?'
The line between life and death she'd drawn. I'd come right up to its edge.
And the reason? Princess Yeonhwa.
'Take the advice. I wanna see you around for a long time.'
Advice, huh.
Did that woman know something like this would happen?
No. This wasn't the time for those thoughts.
I took a deep breath and asked.
"Princess Yeonhwa's gone missing?"
"Yes. Vanished without a trace. No one knows where she is—not a soul."
"What the hell were her guards doing?"
At my question, Baekrok's face darkened.
"...Mumyeong, listen well. In this palace, there's no true retainer who serves Princess Yeonhwa from the heart."
What the fuck did that mean?
It was so absurd I almost laughed.
"No way. How can a princess not have even one loyal subject?"
Baekrok replied calmly.
"Geumryong Palace is a stagnant pond overflowing with rot. People grab their own lifelines, clinging to thin hopes that they won't drown in the filth. But Princess Yeonhwa? She's a rotten rope. Who'd grab that?"
Politics again?
These martial artist bastards tossing aside their principles for schemes?
Hoo— Fine, I got the picture.
Baekrok's reason for coming was obvious.
"Then I just need to find Princess Yeonhwa."
"No, Mumyeong."
He shook his head.
"That's not it."
"What?"
"We use this chance to drag the Empress from her throne."
My grip tightened involuntarily.
"Her location's obvious from the start."
He pointed off into the distance.
"That's where Wolyeongjeon lies—the organization under the Empress's command. She's surely behind this."
"Why?"
"One thing the Empress hated above all was the princess. She plugged her ears, blinded her eyes, severed her arms and legs. All to keep her from any power, forcing her to live meekly."
Baekrok continued.
"But lately, the princess started moving on her own. Opening her eyes, unblocking her ears, wielding her limbs with vigor. The Empress must resent that."
The Empress again?
This bitch was everywhere.
I let out a deep sigh.
"Then just rescue Princess Yeonhwa."
"No. Don't focus on the princess."
Baekrok said.
"Mumyeong, your task is simple. First—"
"—Enough."
I didn't need to hear more.
"No need to tell me."
"What?"
"I'll handle it my way."
"What are you saying?"
"Was this the Emperor's order from the start?"
"No."
Seemed like Baekrok's solo play.
I clicked my tongue.
"Old man, I misjudged you. Didn't peg you for a heartless bastard."
"Mumyeong, sometimes you must sacrifice the few for the many."
"Handy excuse."
I sneered, and Baekrok sighed.
"Fine, no excuses. Think what you will of me. But we can't miss this chance. Topple the Empress now, and the board flips."
Shling—! I drew my sword.
And carved a line in the ground.
"What are you doing?"
"Life line."
I marked a dot.
"That's me."
I said.
"Someone warns me not to cross it."
"…."
"But doesn't every man wanna step over a line like that?"
I took a step forward.
"Old man. Before she's a princess, she's just a little girl."
"But a useless stone."
"Discard stones one by one—what's left?"
"Great power in the Emperor's hands."
"Listen up, old man."
Our gazes locked in the air.
"Flip the board or not—ain't my problem. But the moment people start tossing other people aside as 'natural,' what the fuck's that power even worth?"
Baekrok's brow twitched.
"Childish nonsense. A king's path is built on walls of corpses. If her sacrifice uproots this nation's rot, that's noble."
"Noble my ass."
Once more, I stepped forward. Casually stomping the line.
"Greater good, lesser good—I'm too fucking dumb for that shit. It just gives me a headache. So don't shove your bullshit logic at me. I do what I want."
"…."
"Got it? Now fuck off. You're ruining my mood."
Big disappointment. Turns out the old man's just another schemer.
"…Mumyeong. That outdated worldview will rot away."
Baekrok's eyes burned with turmoil.
Then what about you now?
Can you say with confidence you're not rotting?
The rain drummed down.
It grated on my ears, so I turned away.
Then a voice from behind.
"Fine. But you deserve to act that way. A sword hard to wield—makes you want it more."
Baekrok rummaged in his robes and pulled out a letter.
"Wolyeongjeon knows her whereabouts."
"What's this all of a sudden?"
"My plan needed you to even start. So I'll follow your will. No choice."
Unfolding the letter revealed a diagram of the palace structure.
Wolyeongjeon Layout Diagram
[Detailed structural map of the hall]
"You're still officially an investigator. Plenty of reason to enter Wolyeongjeon."
"Planning this from the start?"
Baekrok snorted.
"Hardly. I hoped you'd agree. Then we could've flipped everything. I prefer the easy path—not like you, choosing the hard one."
Baekrok said.
"Mumyeong, listen. The scholar-officials shuffling papers in Geumryong Palace are all like this. Pretend to be pure, but never dirty their own hands—dancing over words painted in others' blood. What makes me different?"
Soon, Baekrok trudged slowly into the rain.
"To save Princess Yeonhwa, find their ledgers. Seize the justification. So you can swing that sword."
After he left, the rain echoed for a long while.
Romance fantasy.
What a fucking shitty genre.
Why the hell do they love political bullshit and schemes so much?
Almost stormed Geumryongjeon to chew out the Emperor.
And Baekrok—that old fart testing me? Nah, he was dead serious to the end.
Anyway.
"Hey, anyone home?"
Using Baekrok's letter, I headed straight to Wolyeongjeon.
Statues of masked figures gripping daggers and longswords flanked the gate.
Their eyes glared fiercely.
Come to think of it, Wolyeongjeon specialized in ambushes and poisonings.
"Who're you?"
While I was checking them out, a gatekeeper approached.
Damn, shiny bald head—not a single hair, like a newborn's.
But his face screamed bandit. How does someone get born looking like 'I'm a thief, yo'?
He towered over me—twice my height at least.
Had to crane my neck.
Ugh, blinding.
"Didn't Baekrok tell you?"
"Oh, right. The investigator was coming? Fuck, this is annoying. Regular inspections like this? We're clean anyway."
"Just formalities. Let me in."
"Can't you just leave? Atmosphere's tense, we're busy."
I told the guy.
"Fuck off, or I'll force my way."
"...What'd you say?"
Hey, I got promoted.
Investigator rank scares these punks.
"Don't you know obstructing an investigation means blood? Built like a dumb brute. Move it."
"...Fuck. If you don't wanna see blood, leave now."
Ah, this prick.
"I warned you. Or should it be three times?"
"You mouthing off?"
"Criminals get this treatment. Scram."
"You little shithead!"
He lunged at me.
Three warnings.
Okay.
Full count—time to go.
"If you don't fuck off right—"
—Crack!
I kicked his balls.
He crumpled forward with a thud.
"Grrraaahhh!"
His bald head gleamed as he groaned.
Blinding as fuck.
Stepping on his back, I shoved the gate open.
Fierce-faced bandit types stared me down.